Work

Hesperetin as a potent antiviral agent against channel catfish virus by interfering with viral internalization and early replication

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: Channel catfish virus (CCV) is an acute and highly contagious pathogen that easily causes large-scale infections and substantial economic losses to the catfish industry. Currently, there are no commercially available licensed prophylactic vaccines or therapeutic agents specifically developed for the treatment and control of CCV infection. In recent years, the use of natural products with antimicrobial properties has attracted increasing attention in aquaculture. Hesperetin is a plant-derived flavonoid monomer and has a wide range of pharmacology effects. Nevertheless, the antiviral effect of hesperetin against CCV needs to be further elucidated. In this study, we evaluated the antiviral efficacy and potential mechanisms of hesperetin against CCV infection in CCO cells. The results demonstrated that hesperetin possessed remarkable anti-CCV properties, effectively inhibiting viral replication and protecting CCO cells from virus-induced cytopathic effects at non-cytotoxic concentration of 500 μg/ml. Further results revealed that hesperetin significantly suppressed viral gene expression and protein synthesis, reduced progeny virus production, and preserved normal cellular morphology in a dose-dependent manner, based on assessments including quantitative real-time PCR (RT-qPCR), western blot, viral cytopathic effects, viral titer, and plaque formation. Notably, the hesperetin exhibited a 10-fold safety window, with effective antiviral activity at 50 μg/ml well below its tolerated cytotoxicity level. Mechanistically, time-of-addition assays indicated that hesperetin probably acted at the viral entry process and early replication stage. Furthermore, hesperetin exerted its antiviral activity by specifically interfering with the internalization phase of viral entry, which was evidenced by suppression of viral protein expression, viral titer and plaque formation in adsorption and penetration assays. Together, these results identify hesperetin as a promising candidate antiviral agent against CCV infection, which shed light on the development of a novel and potent treatment for herpesvirus infection in aquaculture. • Hesperetin exhibited potent antiviral activity against CCV. • Hesperetin inhibited CCV early replication and blocked viral internalization. • Hesperetin presented a promising sustainable alternative to traditional antiviral drugs in aquaculture.

Source: Aquaculture Reports

DOI: 10.1016/j.aqrep.2025.103228

Authors: Yu Wang, Jie Hua Xu, Fei Yu, Cheng Chen, Kai Hao, Zhe Zhao

Institution: Hohai University

Language: English

Topic: Aquaculture disease management and microbiota

Subfield: Immunology

Field: Immunology and Microbiology

Domain: Life Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $2,640