Investigation of the antiviral effect of silver nanoparticles treated with extract of truffle Terfezia claveryi on adenovirus type 8

Adenovirus (ADV) is the most common cause of infectious conjunctivitis. The severe form of adenoviral conjunctivitis is epidemic keratoconjunctivitis usually caused by adenovirus genotype, 8. There is no approved specific antiviral drugs for treating adenoviral keratoconjunctivitis (1). In this respect, it is important to develop antiviral therapy against pathogenic viruses using natural resources. The aim of this study is to investigate the antiviral activity of silver nanoparticles treated with extracts of truffle Terfezia claveryi on adenovirus type 8. In the literature, no study has been found on the antiviral activity of Terfezia claveryi and silver nanoparticles on adenovirus type 8, and our study is unique in this respect. Truffles are underground edible fungi. They have high nutritional value as antioxidant, antiviral, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, hepatoprotective and antitumor. (2). Some truffles in the Terfezia genus have been found to have antiviral effects (3). Recently, the antiviral effects of silver nanoparticles have been demonstrated against some viruses. Silver nanoparticles can attach to viral surface glycoproteins and enter the host cells, then exhibit their virucidal activity by interacting with the viral genome (4). In this study, the antiviral effect the silver nanoparticles treated with extracts of truffle Terfezia claveryi obtained with different solvents will be evaluated. The extraction of the Terfezia claveryi with ethanol and methanol will be done by soxhlet device and the extraction with water will be performed by manual method. Afterwards, silver nanoparticles will be treated with the obtained products and their antiviral activity will be determined by MTT test. Adenovirus type 8 is especially responsible for seasonal conjunctival outbreaks. Antivirals that can be used in the treatment of adenovirus may have high cost, side effects and antiviral resistance may develop. For this reason, if antiviral activity is determined as a result of this study, the active substance or substances can be identified and used in the production of topically applicable drugs.