AUTHOR=Liu Mingzhu , Yu Qing , Xiao Hehe , Li Mengmeng , Huang Yaming , Zhang Qin , Li Pengfei 

TITLE=The Inhibitory Activities and Antiviral Mechanism of Medicinal Plant Ingredient Quercetin Against Grouper Iridovirus Infection

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Microbiology

VOLUME=11

YEAR=2020

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/microbiology/articles/10.3389/fmicb.2020.586331

DOI=10.3389/fmicb.2020.586331

ISSN=1664-302X

ABSTRACT=<p>Singapore grouper iridovirus (SGIV) causes high mortality rates in mariculture, and effective treatments against SGIV infection are urgently required. <italic>Illicium verum</italic> Hook. f. (<italic>I. verum</italic>) is a well-known medicinal plant with a variety of biological activities. The natural ingredient quercetin isolated from <italic>I. verum</italic> could effectively inhibit SGIV infection in a dose-dependent manner. The possible antiviral mechanism of quercetin was further analyzed in this study. It showed that quercetin did obvious damages to SGIV particles. Furthermore, quercetin could interfere with SGIV binding to targets on host cells (by 76.14%), disturb SGIV invading into host cells (by 56.03%), and effect SGIV replication in host cells (by 52.73%), respectively. Quercetin had the best antiviral effects during the SGIV life cycle of binding to the receptors on host cells’ membranes. Overall, the results suggest that quercetin has direct and host-mediated antiviral effects against SGIV and holds great potential for developing effective drugs to control SGIV infection in aquaculture.</p>