Abstract
Summary
A water-soluble and athanol-insoluble fraction of tobacco leaf of cigarettes has been found to have antiviral activity against EMC virus infection in mice and tissue cultures, and antilethal activity on LCM virus infection in mice. This activity was compared with poly I:C and tilorone as standard agents.
The lower molecular portion of the tobacco extract inhibited the single cycle of EMC virus reproduction in KB cells even when it was added 2 hr after infection. It also inhibited the cytopathic effects of vesicular stomatitis, polio type 2, reo type 2, and vaccinia viruses, but not adeno type 12, in KB cells. The higher molecular portion showed no antiviral activity in KB cells, although it showed activity in mice against EMC infection.
Although both the lower and higher molecular portions of tobacco extract protected mice from EMC paralysis after a single pre-treatment, neither induced serum interferon.
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