MEDICINAL PLANTS: AS RESERVOIR OF ANTI- HIV COMPOUNDS FOR HIV/AIDS TREATMENT

Abstract

According to British medical journal, there are approximately 1.4-1.6 million population with HIV/AIDS. But since last 10 years India has noticed 50% decline in prevalence of HIV/AIDS because of Anti-retroviral therapy. However, resistance of HIV virus to this therapy has also been noticed. In urge to an alternative to this therapy, some medicinal plants were found to have anti-HIV compounds in them. Baicalein and baicalin from Scutellaria baicalensis were compounds to have potential anti-HIV activity same as other potential compounds .In order to have detailed study on these natural compounds molecular modelling methods have also been utilized viz. Computer assisted drug design(CADD) by QSAR methods, docking(indirect & direct design) etc.