Inhibition of dengue virus type 2 by hypericin mediated through viral envelope protein interaction

TL;DR

Hypericin, a natural compound, inhibits dengue virus by interacting with its envelope protein, potentially offering a new antiviral treatment.

Contribution

This study identifies hypericin's antiviral mechanism against DENV-2 by targeting the viral envelope protein and blocking viral entry.

Findings

Hypericin inhibits DENV-2 at multiple stages, including viral attachment and entry.

Hypericin interacts with the DENV-2 envelope protein with a docking score of -7.0 kcal/mol and a Kd of 7.18 µM.

Hypericin competitively blocks the association between the E protein and the cellular receptor HSP70.

Abstract

Dengue fever continues to exert significant global impact, affecting populations worldwide with considerable public health and economic consequences. There is no antiviral drug for dengue. This study focuses on hypericin, a naturally occurring compound from Hypericum perforatum L. whose anti-dengue properties have been underexplored. We systematically examined its antiviral efficacy against dengue virus (DENV), revealing strong inhibitory effects and clarifying its precise antiviral mechanism.

The study assessed the efficacy of hypericin against DENV using various scientific methods like plaque assays and Western blotting. We looked into its antiviral mechanism. We used a time-of-addition approach during our research. Moreover, the basic mechanisms involved were studied through molecular docking, surface plasmon resonance (SPR), and co-immunoprecipitation (Co-IP).

This study demonstrated that hypericin exhibits broad-spectrum antiviral activity against DENV-2 in cell lines derived from multiple species. In time-of-addition experiments, it showed inhibitory effects under co-treatment, direct virucidal, and post-treatment conditions. Crucially, hypericin primarily blocked viral attachment and entry stages, thereby effectively reducing intracellular viral load. Mechanistic investigations revealed a interaction between hypericin and the E protein, evidenced by a computational docking score of -7.0 kcal/mol and an experimental SPR-derived Kd of 7.18 µM. Furthermore, Co-IP assays demonstrated that hypericin competitively blocks the association between the E protein and its cellular receptor, HSP70.

As per these findings, the E protein was seen to be a target of hypericin with an antiviral activity against DENV-2 at multiple stages by limiting viral adsorption and viral entry projecting a molecular basis for the candidate molecule as a possible anti-dengue agent.

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12985-026-03087-4.

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