Thirty seven plant species were tested against Human Immuno-deficiency Virus (HIV) using MTT assay. The Selectivity index (SI) is an important therapeutic parameter as it includes both antiviral activity and eventual toxicity of the test extracts to host cells. Azadirachta indica (bark), Strychnos nux-vomica (seeds) and Mukia maderaspatana (leaf) showed high anti-HIV activity with the SI values respectively of 7.77, 3.53 and 3.42 but all the 37 plant extracts exhibited activity. CRDS, AZT, DS were used as reference compound. The SI of pure reference compounds was greater (44642.86 for CRDS, 15 for AZT, 423.44 for DS) than all the crude plant extracts tested. These results are useful for rationalizing the use of medicinal plants in established systems of traditional medicine in primary health care. Further purification of these crude extracts will increase the anti-HIV activity.
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