Antiherpetic Effect of Topical Formulations Containing Sulfated Polysaccharide from Adenanthera pavonina

Adenanthera pavonina is a native tree of Africa and Asia, introduced in Brazil for reforestation and wood industry. Several pharmacological activities have described scientifically, including antiviral activity. This study evaluated the antiviral effect of sulfated polysaccharide of Adenanthera pavonina (SPAp) against acyclovir (ACV)—resistant (AR-29) and sensitive (KOS) herpes simplex virus strains. The 50% cytotoxic concentration (CC50) was determined by MTT method and the 50% inhibitory concentration (IC50) was evaluated by plaque reduction assay. The in vivo SPAp antiviral activity was performed in Balb/c mice infected by skin scarification and treated with topical 0.5% (w/w) SPAp formulations. SPAp showed a CC50 of 47.81 μg/mL and the IC50 were 0.49 μg/mL (SI = 97.5) and 0.54 μg/mL (SI = 88.5) for the strains KOS and AR-29, respectively. Our results demonstrated that mice treated with SPAp presented a delay in the development and progression of skin lesions compared with the control group.