Antiviral potential of Corchorus olitorius fixed oil loaded into poly(D,L-lactide-co-glycolide)/poly(ε-caprolactone) (PLGA/PCL) nanoparticles against HSV-1 virus, supported by network analysis

Although Corchorus olitorius has been traditionally used in folk medicine for various purposes for a long time and has components that may have antiviral effects, there is not much scientific data to support any particular antiviral effects of the plant. More research is required to investigate its antiviral effectiveness against certain viral infections and to comprehend the underlying mechanisms.The goals of this research were to create biodegradable and partially soluble polymeric nanoparticles (polylactide-co-glycolide- poly(ε-caprolactone) nanoparticles) (PLGA-PCL NPs) loaded with C. olitorius (referred to as C.O./PLGA-PCL-NPs) and to examine their potential impact against the Herpes simplex type 1 (HSV-1) virus. Gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (GC-MS) was used to chemically characterize the fixed oil of the shrub Corchorus olitorius (C. olitorius, family Malvaceae). Additionally, we used all the components identified in an in silico molecular docking investigation, screening them against HSV-1 DNA polymerase (PDB ID: 2GV9) and thymidine kinase from HSV-1 complexed with 5-iododeoxyuridine (HSV-1 TK; PDB ID: 1KI7). The possibility of using Corchorus olitorius oil (C.O.) to cure Herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) is examined in this study. C.O., a plant oil rich in fatty acids and sterols, was encapsulated in nanoparticles (NPs) made from a blend of polylactide-co-glycolide (PLGA) and poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL) polymers. We optimized the formulation to create NPs with minimal clumping, a small size, and a stable electrical charge. The optimized NPs displayed a spherical morphology with minimal agglomeration, the smallest hydrodynamic size (151.2 ± 0.24 nm), the lowest polydispersity index (0.326 ± 0.04), and the highest ζ potential -25.6 ± 0.04 mV) compared to other formulations. These NPs effectively trapped C.O. (77.5 ± 0.44%) and released it gradually (89 ± 0.98%) over 72 h. Both C.O. and the C.O.-loaded NPs displayed significant antiviral activity against HSV-1. To understand this effect, we built a network analysis of HSV-1 genes and identified potential interactions between C.O. components and these genes. The top 10 hub genes, AKT1, TNF, EGFR, STAT3, SRC, BCL2, IL1B, HSP90AA1, PPARG, and MTOR, are reported. Additionally, computer modeling predicted how the chemical compounds of C.O. might interact with a key HSV-1 enzyme. These findings suggest that C.O./PLGA-PCL NPs hold promise as a new treatment for HSV-1 infections.