Synthetic dibenzylideneketones as promising anti-herpes simplex virus type 1 agents.
Thalita Zago OliveiraDyenefer Pereira FonsecaAndré Henrique Dos SantosThays Rosa da SilvaDanielle Lazarin-BidóiaZia Ud DinBenedito Prado Dias FilhoCelso Vataru NakamuraEdson Rodrigues-FilhoTania Ueda NakamuraPublished in: Archives of virology (2023)
New antiviral agents for the treatment of herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) infection, which causes a highly prevalent and incurable disease, are needed. Here, we report for the first time the in vitro anti-HSV-1 activity of two dibenzylideneketone compounds: DBK1 and DBK2. DBK1 demonstrated virucidal activity, and high-resolution scanning electron microscopy showed that it caused morphological changes in the HSV-1 envelope. DBK2 was able to reduce HSV-1 plaque size in vitro. The DBKs are promising anti-HSV-1 candidates, as they exhibit low toxicity and exert an antiviral effect by acting at the early stages of HSV-1-host cell interaction.