Enviroxime is an antiviral compound that inhibits the replication of polio and rubella virus. The antiviral activity of this compound was tested in two cell lines (L2OB and RD for poliovirus and HeLa and WISH for Rubellavirus). At a concentration of 32μg/ml or less, the compound is relatively non-toxic to cell lines but has significant antiviral effect. We found the minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) of 0.06 μg/ml for polio, and 0.125 μg/ml for rubella virus. The therapeutic index (TI) defined as the ratio of the minimal dose of the drug that is toxic to the cells to the dose which inhibit the viral multiplication, is used to evaluate the drug activity. If this index is more than one, the margin of safety for the drug is large. In this study the TI of enviroxime against poliovirus was 54 while it was 14 against Rubella virus. Hence we speculate that this compound if used as an antiviral agent in humans, would have minimal or no side effect.
Key-words:
Poliovirus - Rubellavirus - Antiviral Therapy - Enviroxime
