Background: The development of effective antiviral compounds has become public health emergency worldwide. Animal venoms, including snake venoms, are gaining increased attention as bioactive compounds with crucial therapeutic activities. The antiviral activity of snake venoms represents a new and promising therapeutic alternative against the resistance mechanisms developed by viruses. Hepatitis C virus infection (HCV) is a major worldwide health problem, and it is the foremost reason for progressive hepatic fibrosis and cirrhosis, with an elevated risk of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) development. The current treatment of HCV is still expensive and has side effects as, gene selectivity, low accessibility and resistance to mutated virus strains. For these reasons, achieving the discovery of more successful antiviral agents is always urgent.
Objective: the present study aimed to evaluate the antiviral activities of crude venom of Cerastes vipera against HCV.
Methods: The antiviral activity of crude venom of Cerastes vipera was evaluated by a cell culture technique using human hepatocellular carcinoma-derived cell line (Huh7.5) cells and the J6/JFH1-P47 strain of HCV.
Results: The results revealed that crude venom inhibited HCV infectivity with 50% inhibitory concentration (IC₅₀) of 1ng/ml in culture medium, through direct virucidal effect. The anti-HCV activity of this venom was not inhibited by a metalloprotease inhibitor or heating at 60°C. Interestingly, crude venom is neither toxic nor hemolytic in vitro at a concentration 1000-fold higher than that required for antiviral activity.
Conclusion: Conclusively, the obtained results indicate the therapeutic potential of crude venom of Cerastes vipera against the hepatitis C virus in vitro which many lay the foundation for developing a new therapeutic intervention against HCV.