RESUMEN
Extracts from four species of Brazilian marine algae collected from the Rio de Janeiro State coast were screened to determine the inhibitory effect on HTLV-1-induced syncytium formation. Before performing the syncytium inhibition assay the 50% cytotoxic dose (CyD50) of the algal extracts was evaluated. The antiviral test was carried out in HeLa cells co-cultured with HTLV-I infected T-cell line (C91/PL cells) in the presence of marine algal extracts in the concentration inferior to that corresponding to the CyD50. It was observed that co-cultured cells exposed to Ulva fasciata extract showed 60.2% syncytium inhibition at a concentration of 2.5%. At 5% concentration, Sargassum vulgare and Vidalia obtusiloba extracts presented 78.8 and 76% syncytium inhibition, respectively. The best inhibitory activity was observed with Laminaria abyssalis that presented 100% syncytium inhibition at a concentration of 2.5%. This work shows that extracts of marine algae, mainly L. abyssalis extract, are able to inhibit the cell-to-cell contact essential for the spreading of the virus and could be useful to prevent the infection.