Korede Abdullah in Lagos
A research team led by Professor Wei Li from Toho University, in collaboration with Duke University Medical Center, has made a groundbreaking discovery regarding the anti-HIV properties of Daphne pseudomezereum (Onishibari).
The study, published in Phytochemistry on December 16, 2024, reveals that this plant contains daphnane diterpenoids, a class of compounds capable of inhibiting HIV replication. This is the first time such anti-HIV active diterpenoids have been identified in D. pseudomezereum, opening new avenues for antiviral drug development.
The study involved cultivating the plant at Toho University’s Medicinal Plant Garden and isolating ten daphnane diterpenoids, including three previously unknown compounds.
Among them, three exhibited potent anti-HIV activity, with EC₅₀ values around 1 nM and cytotoxicity levels above 5 μM. These findings suggest the possibility of developing novel anti-HIV drugs with enhanced efficacy.
The Thymelaeaceae family, to which D. pseudomezereum belongs, is already known for producing bioactive compounds with anticancer, anti-inflammatory, and antiviral properties.
Traditionally used in Japan, China, and Korea for medicinal purposes and Japanese paper production, D. pseudomezereum now holds promise for modern pharmaceutical applications.
Researchers emphasize that further investigation into Thymelaeaceae diterpenoids could lead to significant breakthroughs in anti-HIV drug discovery.
This study lays the groundwork for optimizing the compounds’ activity through structural modifications, potentially leading to next-generation HIV treatments.
