Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 inhibitory activity of Mentha longifolia

Extracts from a new chemotype of Mentha longifolia, a mint species that grows spontaneously and widely in the Moroccan mountains, were tested against human immunodeficiency virus type I (HIV-1). We observed that non-toxic concentrations (10 mug/mL) of extracts from this plant, in particular methanol (Ext-1) and ethyl acetate (Ext-3) extracts, significantly inhibit(p < 0.01) HIV- 1(BaL) infection by about 40% and 55%, respectively. In addition, only Ext-3 shows significant (p < 0.008) inhibitory activity (50% inhibition) against HIV- I reverse transcriptase. It is noteworthy that chemical analysis of these extracts suggests that flavonoids, mainly flavones of M. longifolia, may be the major inhibitors of HIV infection. In conclusion, these in vitro data suggest that components of M. longifolia may represent potential anti-HIV agents; the identification of such components is in progress.