Virostatic Potential Of Zinc Oxide (Zno) Nanoparticles On Capsid Protein Of Cytoplasmic Side Of Chikungunya Virus

Background: Chikungunya is becoming a major public health concern with many people being affected by it year after year. Chikungunya (CHIKV) has been repeatedly reported from numerous countries in Central and Southern Africa as well as in Senegal and Nigeria in West Africa. In the recent years CHIKV has caused several epidemics in India, Philippines, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, Myanmar and Srilanka and some island countries of the Indian Ocean and is fast re-emerging as an important agent of public health importance. Currently, there are no vaccines or antiviral drugs available to cure chikungunya, and the treatment is focussed on relieving the symptoms associated with the infection and is still mainly limited to supportive care as antiviral agents are yet in different stages of testing or development Methods & Materials: ZnO nanoparticles synthesized by precipitation method and characterization done by Transmission Electron Microscope (TEM), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) and zeta-dynamic light scattering. To determine cytotoxicity of zinc oxide nanoparticles in MA104 cells, cell viability assays were performed in 96-well plates with 85%–95% confluent cells (≈5 × 104cells/well). Cells were treated with zinc oxide nanoparticles (0.5–6.5 pg) for 4 days followed by an MTT assay (Sigma–Aldrich). Further a plaque inhibition assay was carried out by seeding CHKV cells into 6-well plates (≈1.2 × 106 cells per well) and the change in viral RNA transcripts within 24 h of virus infection was analysed by quantitative RT–PCR Results: Cell viability (TD50) was 50% observed at 5.15 pg (picogram) ± 2pg of zinc oxide nanoparticles and 90% show 3.10pg) ± 2pg. The anti chikungunya activity determined by change in viral RNA transcripts within 24 h of virus infection by RT-PCR, 10 fold reductions in virus found when treated with zinc oxide nanoparticles. Change in polarity of positive charge of capsid protein of chikungunya virus and negative charge of ZnO seen in zeta potential results. Conclusion: Results, Clearly indicate that zinc oxide nanoparticles interacting with viruses’ exhibit antiviral activity and this could be new possible antiviral drug against chikungunya virus though test on animal and ethical issues still need to be done.