Fig. 1

Plant extracts primarily contain a 30 kDa protein as visualized by Coomassie stain on a 4–20% SDS-PAGE gel. A A Coomassie blue stained gel of the extract and extract passed through a 30kD cutoff filter shows a predominantly single band. The band is reactive with an N-terminal antibody to the MoMo30-plant (Ab 1) and a second antibody made from a sequence from the gene of the predicted MoMo30-plant (Ab 2) B. The IC₅₀ of the protein was determined by exposing HIV-1_NL43 (equivalent to 1 ng p24) to concentrations of MoMo30-plant from 1 to 100 nM and determining the percent infectivity by MAGI assay. The IC₅₀ value was determined by curve-fitting using Dr. Fit software. The blue curve is MoMo30-plant, and the red curve is MoMo30-HEK. The green curve is the commercially available fusion inhibitor Enfuvirtide. C MoMo30-plant is adsorbed into the serum of Rhesus macaques. Two macaques were given herbal therapy in the same regimen as in the field for humans (adjusted for weight). Three microliters of serum were tested by MAGI assay (in triplicate) for antiviral effects from 0 to 183 days. The inset shows a western blot using N-terminal ab and 15 µL of the sample in crosshatched bars. D MoMo30-plant shows no cellular toxicity at therapeutic levels. MoMo30-plant was tested at concentrations from 1 to 1000 nm in an MTT assay. Control is untreated cells