A search for potential anti-HIV phytoconstituents from the natural product repository

A chronic, life threatening and immuno-suppressing malady caused by Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is formally known as Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS). Currently, combinations of several anti-retroviral drugs are being used for the management of HIV infection. These drugs possess certain limitations and hence researchers across the globe are striving to explore treatment methodologies based on medicinal plants of natural origin in order to develop safe and effective treatment. In this review, various medicinal plants are categorized on the basis of target of action namely Reverse transcriptase enzyme, Protease enzyme, Integrase enzyme, cell fusion, CC chemokine receptor 5 (CCR5) CXC chemokine receptor 4 (CXCR4). Medicinal plants exhibiting multi-targeted activities against various targets of HIV are also reviewed. Detail description of medicinal plants with their habitat, common names, category of systems of medicines, phytoconstituents and their biological activities in terms of relative % inhibition or IC 50 or EC 50 are provided in this review. Anti-HIV benefits of these plants are observed due to phytoconstituents like terpenoids, tannins, alkaloids, polyphenols, coumarins, flavonoids, etc. In order to gain the structural knowledge for future developments of anti-HIV leads, ligand based pharmacophore was generated using phytoconstituents mentioned in this review. Structural modifications of these phytoconstituents on hydrophobic, donor and acceptor regions are beneficial for the potent anti-HIV activity. In conclusion, this study may prove to be a stepping stone towards the use of herbal medicinal plants for the management of HIV/AIDS and may aspire researchers to look for new treatment options from the natural sources. Graphical abstract