Phytother Res. 2003 Apr; 17(4): 426-9.

Korean medicinal plants inhibiting to human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) fusion.

Chang YS, Woo ER.

College of Pharmacy, Chosun University, Kwangju 501-759, Republic of Korea.

In order to find novel anti-HIV agents from natural products, 80 MeOH extracts of Korean plants were applied to a syncytia formation inhibition assay, which is based on the interaction between the HIV-1 envelope glycoprotein gp120/41 and the cellular membrane protein CD4 of T lymphocytes. The most potent HIV-1 fusion inhibition was shown by the stem bark of Ailanthus altissima with 74.9 +/- 4.4% at a concentration of 100 microg/mL.Copyright 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.