Inhibitory effects of indonesian plant extracts on reverse transcriptase of an RNA Tumour Virus (I)

Abstract

Abstract Methanol and water extracts of 30 Indonesian medicinal plants were tested for inhibitory activity on avian myeloblastosis virus (AMV)‐reverse transcriptase (RT). The most potent inhibition was shown by extracts of Loranthus parasiticus (whole plant), Helicteres isora (fruit), Terminalia belerica (fruit peel), Strobilanthes crispus (leaves) and Woodfordia floribunda (flower and leaves). Two kinds of template‐primers, (rA) n ‐(dT) 12–18 and (rC) n ‐(dG) 12–18 were examined for polymerization reaction but the inhibitory activity was stronger in the (rC) n ‐(dG) 12–18 directed reaction in most of the samples. These extracts showed no appreciable cytotoxicity at concentrations where over 90% of RT activity was inhibited.