[6]-Gingerol Inhibits Chikungunya Virus Infection by Suppressing Viral Replication.

Chikungunya (CHIK) is a reemerging arboviral disease caused by chikungunya virus (CHIKV) infection. The disease is clinically hallmarked by prolonged debilitating joint pain. Currently, there is no specific antiviral medication nor commercial vaccine available for treatment of the disease, which makes the discovery or development of specific anti-CHIKV compounds a priority. Ginger (Zingiber officinale Roscoe) is widely known for its various health benefits. The compound [6]-gingerol is the main active ingredient found in ginger. This study sought to determine the potential of [6]-gingerol antiviral activity against CHIKV infection using in vitro human hepatocyte HepG2 cells. The antiviral activity mechanism was investigated using direct virucidal and four indirect (pre-, post-, full-, and prevention) treatment assays. [6]-Gingerol showed weak virucidal activity but significant indirect antiviral activity against CHIKV through post- and full treatment with IC50 of 0.038 mM and 0.031 mM, respectively, without showing cell cytotoxicity. The results indicated that [6]-gingerol inhibits CHIKV infection through suppression of viral replication. Together, this study confirms the potential use of [6]-gingerol for CHIK antiviral compound.

Synthesis and Self-Assembly of Double-Hydrophilic and Amphiphilic Block Glycopolymers.

In this report, we present double-hydrophilic block glycopolymers of poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate)- b-poly(2-(ß-glucosyloxy)ethyl methacrylate) (PHEMA- b-PGEMA) and amphiphilic block glycopolymers of poly(ethyl methacrylate)- b-PGEMA (PEMA- b-PGEMA) synthesized via reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerization. The block glycopolymers were prepared in two compositions of P(H)EMA macro-chain transfer agents (CTAs) and similar molecular weights of PGEMA. Structural analysis of the resulting polymers as well as the conversion of (H)EMA and GEMA monomers were determined by 1H NMR spectroscopy. Size exclusion chromatography measurements confirmed both P(H)EMA macro-CTAs and block glycopolymers had a low dispersity ( D ≤ 1.5). The synthesized block glycopolymers had a degree of polymerization and a molecular weight up to 222 and 45.3 kg mol-1, respectively. Both block glycopolymers self-assembled into micellar structures in aqueous solutions as characterized by fluorescence spectroscopy, ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy, and dynamic light scattering experiments.