Ginkgolic acid inhibits orthopneumo‑ and metapneumovirus infectivity

Pneumoviridae family viruses are enveloped, single-stranded, negative-sense RNA viruses belonging to two genera: orthopneumovirus and metapneumovirus. The human respiratory syncytial virus (hRSV) and the human metapneumovirus (hMPV), members of the two genera, are important human respiratory pathogens. Ginkgo biloba extracts from the leaves and fruits of the Ginkgo biloba contain various chemical compounds, including Ginkgolic Acid (GA). GA, and in particular GA C15:1, which is the major compound found in these extracts, has been widely researched as a therapeutic option for various human diseases including viral infections. This research reports the antiviral activity of GA against two members of the Pneumoviridae family: hRSV and hMPV. GA can make the inhibition of infectivity occurs during the entry step in the early stage of the viruses’ life cycle with no effect on late events such as viral replication, gene expression, and viral assembly and release. Overall, the ability of GA to inhibit the infectivity of two members from the Pneumoviridae family, hRSV and hMPV, hints that the drug may have a broader range of action and can be used to treat other members of this family.
(DKW)