Anti-HIV natural products from medicinal plants: A review

Abstract

Present article explains human immunodeficiency virus (anti-HIV) activity of various bioorganic components
isolated from various plant species. Plants possess enormous potential to fight against viruses and other microbial
pathogens. Medicinal plants are large depository of antiretroviral agents which could be used for treatment
of sexually transmitted diseases. Diseases caused by viruses are showing new trends in virulence, with high
infectivity, morbidity, and mortality. Due to climatic effect and drug resistance and new mutations in pathogens,
disease burden has been exacerbated enormously at global level. In the present article, plant-derived anti-HIV
bioorganic constituents which display reverse transcriptase, protease, and integrase inhibition and obstruct virus
cycle inside host have been highlighted with their activity. These plant origin drugs can be produced easily
and inexpensively in developing countries and become affordable to poor people. This article suggests the use
of natural products from medicinal plants to replace costly antiretroviral chemical drugs which cause cellular
toxicity and impose multidrug resistance in viruses. There is an immense need to have most appropriate and
highly effective plant origin organic and heterocyclic compound to suppress HIV progression in human cells.
Present review article tries to explore new possibilities of HIV control by suggesting important plant natural
products which can be used for discovery and design of new drug candidates.