Author/Authors :
Soleimani Farsani، Maryam نويسنده Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Advanced Sciences and Technologies, University of Isfahan, Isfahan, Iran , , Behbahani، Mandana نويسنده Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Advanced Sciences and Technologies, University of Isfahan, Isfahan, Iran , , Zarkesh Isfahani، Hamid نويسنده Department of Immunology, Medical Sciences Faculty, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran ,
Abstract :
Objective: The genus Thymus L. is a cushion plant that was previously used for the treatment
of bronchitis and rheumatism. The present investigation was carried out to study the
effects of root, shoot, leaf and seed extracts of five Thymus species and subspecies on
peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) toxicity and HIV-1 replication.
Materials and Methods: In this experimental study, the activity of the Thymus extracts
on HIV-1 replication and lymphocytes population were examined respectively using HIV-1
p24 Antigen kit and flow-cytometer. The Thymus species effect was investigated, including
Thymus kotschyanus, Thymus vulgaris, Thymus carmanicus, Thymus daenensis subspecies
lancifolius and Thymus daenensis subspecies daenensis.
Results: The effect of root methanol extracts of all species on PBMCs proliferation was
significantly higher than the other extracts. The intensity of CD4, CD3 and CD45 were
decreased in the presence of all root extracts. Although the average median fluorescence
intensity (MFI) values of CD19 were increased in the cells treated with these extracts. All
methanol extracts showed anti-HIV-1 activity at high concentrations (200 and 500 ?g/ml).
Anti-HIV-1 activity of Thymus daenensis subspecies daenensis was significantly more
than the other species.
Conclusion: These results demonstrated that root extracts of Thymus species might be
a good candidate to investigate anti-HIV infection in vivo.
