[Antiviral activity of hydroalcoholic extract from Haemanthus albiflos on the Moloney murine leukemia virus and the human immunodeficiency virus].

We have used a biological test on the microplates of cellular cultures in order to investigate the toxicity and the antiviral properties against different viruses: defective Moloney Murine Leukemia virus (MoMLV) derived from the SVX shuttle and expressing resistance to the G418 antimitotic, and Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) of a hydroalcoholic extract from Haemanthus albiflos (Amaryllidacae). The toxicity was assessed through coloric test evaluation of fixed cells stained with crystal violet. In a population of NIH 3T3 cells (Fibroblasts mouse), the toxicity found with 2, 7, 14 and 28 microliters/ml of lyophilisat extract corresponding at: 0.23, 0.81, 1.62 and 3.24 mg of plant dry, was 32, 50, 63 and 70% respectively. With regards to the antiviral properties, the plant extracts showed an inhibition of 88% on the formation of G418 resistant 3T3 clones. The assay on HIV infected lymphotic cells (P4) showed an IC50 of 4 microliters/ml for this extract plant. Therefore, the toxic effect was similar to the antiviral response.