The Properties of Daun Dewa as Antiviral Compound

Abstract

The demand for continuous discovery of novel antimicrobial compounds is still very high, especially considering the pandemic the world has recently faced. Many types of antimicrobials can be found in natural ingredients and the vast biodiversity of Indonesia certainly holds many natural compounds that have the potential to be a new novel antimicrobial compound. Gynura divaricata, or also known as Daun Dewa in Indonesia, has been hypothesized to have antimicrobial properties because of its flavonoids that is known to ease illnesses such as respiratory tract infections and digestive disorders as well. The assessment of G. divaricata antiviral activity was done using plaque assay where the formation of plaques upon the administration of G. divaricata Extract is observed, and the expression of inflammatory genes through the assessment of qRT-PCR. Upon the results observation G. divaricata has shown a strong antiviral activity towards the treated cells and helps with lowering the overall cell death upon the administration of infected cells. Proving that the activity of G. divaricata in antiviral assays, however, as the qRT-PCR experiment failed to show any reliable results, the plant extract’s potency in reducing the overall anti-inflammatory response needs to be studied further in future experiments.