Experimental Study of Flakozid Activity in Viral Hepatitis C In Vitro

Abstract

Antiviral activity of a Russian drug flakozid towards infection caused by a cytopathogenic variant of hepatitis C virus in SPEV cells is studied. Flakozid is an individual natural flavonoid glycoside 7-O-β-D-glucopyranoside-8-(methyl-but)-2-enyl)-5,4’-dioxyflavanolol), isolated from the leaves of Phellodendron amurense Rupr. and Ph. amurense var. lavallei (Dode) Sprague, Rutaceae family. High antiviral activity of flakozid manifests in response to its addition into the monolayer of SPEV cells infected by hepatitis C virus during all periods of experiment. Flakozid exhibits weak cytotoxicity and no viricidal activity towards hepatitis C virus, which is comparable to activity of ribavirin (antiviral drug). Chemotherapeutic index of flakozid is 15-25 times higher than that of the reference drug ribavirin.