Molecules 2012, 17(3), 2437-2445; doi:10.3390/molecules17032437
Article

Flavone Enhances Dengue Virus Type-2 (NGC Strain) Infectivity and Replication in Vero Cells

Keivan Zandi 1 email, Rafidah Lani 1 email, Pooi-Fong Wong 2 email, Boon-Teong Teoh 1 email, Sing-Sin Sam 1 email, Jefree Johari 1 email, Mohd Rais Mustafa 2 email and Sazaly AbuBakar 1,* email
1 Tropical Infectious Diseases Research and Education Center (TIDREC), Department of Medical Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, University Malaya, Kuala Lumpur 50603, Malaysia 2 Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, University Malaya, Kuala Lumpur 50603, Malaysia
* Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Received: 13 December 2011; in revised form: 29 January 2012 / Accepted: 31 January 2012 / Published: 28 February 2012
(This article belongs to the Section Natural Products)
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Abstract: This study investigates the effects of 2-phenyl-1-benzopyran-4-one (flavone) on DENV-2 infectivity in Vero cells. Virus adsorption and attachment and intracellular virus replication were investigated using a foci forming unit assay (FFUA) and quantitative RT-PCR, respectively. Addition of flavone (100 μg/mL) significantly increased the number of DENV-2 foci by 35.66% ± 1.52 and 49.66% ± 2.51 when added during and after virus adsorption to the Vero cells, respectively. The average foci size after 4 days of infection increased by 33% ± 2.11 and 89% ± 2.13. The DENV-2 specific RNA copy number in the flavone-treated infected cells increased by 6.41- and 23.1-fold when compared to the mock-treated infected cells. Flavone (100 μg/mL) did not promote or inhibit Vero cell proliferation. The CC50 value of flavone against Vero cells was 446 µg/mL. These results suggest that flavone might enhance dengue virus replication by acting antagonistically towards flavonoids known to inhibit dengue virus replication.
Keywords: antiviral; dengue; flavones; flavonoid; molecule

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Cite This Article

MDPI and ACS Style

Zandi, K.; Lani, R.; Wong, P.-F.; Teoh, B.-T.; Sam, S.-S.; Johari, J.; Mustafa, M.R.; AbuBakar, S. Flavone Enhances Dengue Virus Type-2 (NGC Strain) Infectivity and Replication in Vero Cells. Molecules 2012, 17, 2437-2445.

AMA Style

Zandi K, Lani R, Wong P-F, Teoh B-T, Sam S-S, Johari J, Mustafa MR, AbuBakar S. Flavone Enhances Dengue Virus Type-2 (NGC Strain) Infectivity and Replication in Vero Cells. Molecules. 2012; 17(3):2437-2445.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Zandi, Keivan; Lani, Rafidah; Wong, Pooi-Fong; Teoh, Boon-Teong; Sam, Sing-Sin; Johari, Jefree; Mustafa, Mohd Rais; AbuBakar, Sazaly. 2012. "Flavone Enhances Dengue Virus Type-2 (NGC Strain) Infectivity and Replication in Vero Cells." Molecules 17, no. 3: 2437-2445.

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