Phytochemical compounds with HIV-1 reverse transcriptase inhibition activity – A review

Abstract

HIV/AIDS is a global public health issue, exacerbated by the inaccessibility of combination antiretroviral therapy (cART) in some regions. In such settings, herbal therapy can serve as affordable and effective alternative treatment option. Numerous scientific studies have affirmed the inhibitory effects of medicinal plants on several targets in the HIV life cycle, including the HIV type-1 reverse transcriptase (HIV-1 RT) enzyme. To obtain relevant information on the HIV-1 RT inhibition profiles of these medicinal plants, we conducted a literature search for peer-reviewed papers in various scientific databases including PubMed, Scopus, and Google Scholar on bioactive compounds with HIV-1 RT inhibition. We found 60 different plant species distributed across 24 families and reported their respective geographical distribution, specific parts used, bioactive compounds and HIV-1 RT inhibitory profiles. The family Lamiaceae has the highest number of plants (n=10, 16.7%) with HIV-1 RT inhibitory activity. The classes flavonoids, terpenoids and polyphenolic compounds were found to have the highest number of HIV-1 RT inhibition activity. Herbal therapy is an indispensable treatment option for HIV/AIDS, particularly in many low- and middle-income countries and other resource-constrained settings with limited access to cART.