Summary
Extracts from 29 different species of medicinal plants belonging to 21 families were
tested against Potato virus X for the presence of plant viral inhibitors. Out of them
27 have been screened, first time, for the presence of antiviral principles. Six species
of plants, namely, T. chebula, E. officinalis, C. icaco, C. ledgeriana, C. robusta and C. succirubra showed the presence of strong inhibitors. Extracts of C. officinalis, H. niger, T. belerica, D. purpurea, P. nigrum, O. sanctum and G. glabra indicated presence of inhibitors of moderate potency. The remaining 15 plants contained
inhibitors of comparatively low potency. Extract of W. somnifera showed stimulation of the viral infectivity. While testing different part of the plants
having the inhibitors of high potency, roots, leaves and fruit pericarp of E. officinalis and T. chebula, leaves and fruits of C. icaco, fruit and stem bark of C. ledgeriana were found to have good concentration of inhibitors.
When applied before inoculation, the inhibitors in the extracts of C. icaco, E. officinalis and T. chebula showed strong inhibition whereas C. ledgeriana extract indicated rather weak inhibition. The post–inoculation application showed
negligible inhibition of the virus. Infectivity of the virus was restored in case
of C. ledgeriana when virus–plant extract mixture was diluted to 1 : 10 or 1 : 100, whereas in C. icaco, E. officinalis and T. chebula it remained almost non–infectious even when diluted to 1 : 100 and probably destroyed
the virus almost completely.
Zusammenfassung
Extrakte aus 29 Arzneipflanzen aus 21 Familien (Tabelle 1) wurden auf eine Hemmwirkung
auf den Kartoffelvirus X getestet. Terminalia chebula, Emblica officinalis, Chrysobalanus icaco, Cinchona succirubra
zeigten eine starke Hemmwirkung. Die übrigen Arten zeigten keine oder nur schwache
Wirkung. Withania somnifera hatte sogar eine stimulierende Wirkung.
