Comparison of anti-herpes simplex virus activities of virgin coconut oil and mineral oil: an in vitro study
Keywords:
Anti-viral activity, herpes simplex virus, mineral oil, virgin coconut oil, virucidal effectAbstract
Virgin coconut oil (V) is produced from a fruit of coconut (Cocos nucifera Linn) by cold processing retaining biological properties, including antibacterial and antifungal activities. Antiviral property of V has not been reported. Mineral oil (M) is a common topical oil. Herpes simplex virus (HSV) is an enveloped DNA virus and a member of the family Herpesviridae, genus Simplexvirus. This genus consists of HSV type 1 (HSV-1) and HSV type 2 (HSV-2). Both HSV-1 and HSV-2 can cause serious and recurrent infections in humans. Acyclovir (ACV) is used as a primary treatment of the HSV infections. ACV-resistant HSV strains had been reported. Other anti-HSV drugs are still expensive. The objective of the study was To determine in vitro anti-HSV activities of V compared with those of M. For the method, plaque reduction assay (PRA) was modified into 3 methods, inactivation, pretreatment and posttreatment, for determining anti-viral effects of V and M against HSV-1 (KOS strain) and HSV-2 (Baylor 186 strain). For the results, by inactivation, 2 - 2.5% (V/V) V could reduce HSV-1 and HSV-2 plaque numbers significantly (p < 0.05) compared with those of M. The 50% inhibitory concentrations (ICs50) of V against HSV-1 and HSV-2 were 0.51% and 1.20%, respectively. The ICs50 of M were 1.30% and 1.80%, respectively. By pretreatment and posttreatment, antiviral effect was not found. For Conclusion, 2 – 2.5% V possess virucidal effects on HSV-1 and HSV-2.
References
Anonymous. Coconut oil. Updated January 21, 2024. Accessed February 14, 2024. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coconut_oil
Govaerts R. World Checklist of Selected Plant Families. Updated September 2021. Accessed March 6, 2023. Available from: https://www.gbif.org/dataset/92562ba8-21af-4836-a80a-c31237efe3c5
Zeng YQ, He JT, Hu BY, et al. Virgin coconut oil: A comprehensive review of antioxidant activity and mechanisms contributed by phenolic compounds. Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr. 2022:1-24.
Bhatt K, Pulickal AV, Agolli A, et al. Antioxidant, antibacterial, antiviral and antifungal properties of virgin coconut oil (VCO). J Nutri Biol. 2021;7:458-71.
Intaphuak S, Khonsung P, Panthong A. Anti-inflammatory, analgesic and antipyretic activities of virgin coconut oil. Pharm Biol. 2010;48:151-7.
Peedikayil FC, Remy V, John S, et al. Comparison of antibacterial efficacy of coconut oil and chlorhexidine on Streptococcus mutans: an in vivo study. J Int Soc Prevent Communit Dent. 2016;6:447-52.
Verallo-Rowell VM, Dillague KM, Syah-Tjundawan BS. Novel antibacterial and emollient effects of coconut and virgin olive oils in adult atopic dermatitis. Derm. 2008;19:308-15.
Widianingrum DC, Noviandi CT, Salasia SIO. Antibacterial and immunomodulator activities of virgin coconut oil (VCO) against Staphylococcus aureus. Heliyon. 2019;5:e02612.
Shino B, Peedikayil FC, Jaiprakash SR, et al. Comparison of antimicrobial activity of chlorhexidine, coconut oil, probiotics, and ketoconazole on Candida albicans isolated in children with early childhood caries: an in vitro study. Scientifica. 2016:7061587.
Hornung B, Amtmann E, Sauer G. Lauric acid inhibits the maturation of vesicular stomatitis virus. J Gen Virol. 1994;75(Pt 2):353-61.
Hierholzer JC, Kabara JJ. In vitro effects of monolaurin compounds on enveloped RNA and DNA viruses. J Food Safety. 1982;4:1-12.
Anonymous. Mineral oil. Updated March 28, 2023. Accessed May 9, 2023. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mineral_oil
Haque T, Johannessen I. Herpesviruses: Herpes simplex; varicella and zoster; infectious mononucleosis; B cell lymphomas; cytomegalovirus disease; exanthem subitum; Kaposi's sarcoma; herpesvirus B. In Medical Microbiology: A guide to microbial infections. 2019;38:369-95.
Bacon TH, Levin MJ, Leary JJ, Sarisky RT, Sutton D. Herpes simplex virus resistance to acyclovir and penciclovir after two decades of antiviral therapy. Clin Microbiol Rev. 2003;16:114-28.
Czartoski T, Liu C, Koelle DM, et al. Fulminant, acyclovir-resistant, herpes simplex virus type 2 hepatitis in an immunocompetent woman. J Clin Microbiol. 2006;4:1584-6.
Piret J, Boivin G. Resistance of herpes simplex viruses to nucleoside analogues: mechanisms, prevalence, and management. Antimicrob Agents Chemother. 2011; 55:459-72.
Toriyama K, Inoue T, Suzuki T et al. Necrotizing keratitis caused by acyclovir-resistant herpes simplex virus. Case Rep Ophthalmol. 2014;5:325-8.
Jerome K.R. Lennette’s laboratory diagnosis of viral infections, 4th edition, Informa, 2010.
Yoosook C, Bunyapraphatsara N, Boonyakiat Y, Kantasuk C. Anti-herpes simplex virus activities of crude water extracts of Thai medicinal plants, Phytomed. 2000;6:411-9.
Agero ALC and Verallo-Rowell VM. A randomized double-blind controlled trial comparing extra virgin coconut oil with mineral oil as a moisturizer for mild to moderate xerosis. Derm. 2004;15:109-16.
Ramos CJM. Antimicrobial and barrier repair properties of virgin coconut oil and mineral oil in pediatric atopic dermatitis patients, a randomized, double-blind, control trial. J Philippine Med Assoc. 2020;99:1-9.
Rowe P. Essential statistics for the pharmaceutical sciences. John Wiley & Sons Ltd. West Sussex, UK; 2007. https://pesquisa.bvsalud.org/portal/resource/pt/wpr-962616
Jones DS. Pharmaceutical Statistics. UK ed. Edition, Pharmaceutical Press; 2002.
Astani A, Reichling J, Schnitzler P. Screening for antiviral activities of isolated compounds from essential oils. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med 2011;2011: 253643.
Schuhmacher A, Reichling J, Schnitzler P. Virucidal effect of peppermint oil on the enveloped viruses herpes simplex virus type 1 and type 2 in vitro. Phytomed. 2003;10:504-10.
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Journal of Medical Globalization
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
