In vitro antiviral and antioxidant activities of silymarin and Panax ginseng on Vero cells infected with bovine ephemeral fever virus and bluetongue virus

The inadequacy of antiviral drugs in the treatment of viral diseases, has led to herbal medicine. It was aimed to determine the antiviral and antioxidant activities of Silymarin and Panax ginseng against Bovine ephemeral fever virus (BEFV) and Bluetongue virus (BTV) in permanent cell culture. Silymarin and Panax ginseng were dissolved at the concentration of 400 µg/mL within distilled water. The cell proliferation test was used to evaluate the cytotoxic activity of the Silymarin and Panax ginseng. They were cytotoxic over 50 µg/mL dose in Vero cells. Hence, antiviral activities of subjects were investigated against BEFV at the 25 and 50 µg/mL doses. However, they did not show antiviral activity at any dose level against BTV. Effects of Silymarin and Panax ginseng were evaluated on the total antioxidant capacity (TAC) and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS), oxidative stress marker, levels in Vero cells infected with BEFV and BTV. Silymarin (25 and 50 µg/mL) affected TAC levels in Vero cells infected with BEFV, but it did not effect the TBARS levels in Vero cells infected with BEFV and BTV. Panax ginseng decreased TBARS levels in both diseases, although it did not change TAC levels at same doses on Vero cells infected with BEFV and BTV. In conclusion, it is referred that Silymarin and Panax ginseng may have antiviral some viruses and they may have antioxidant, cell protective and inhibitory effects of virus replication.