Portulaca oleracea L. Polysaccharide Inhibits Porcine Rotavirus In Vitro.

Simple Summary: Porcine rotavirus (PoRV) is a major pathogen causing dehydrating diarrhea and fatality in newborn piglets, resulting in substantial economic losses in the swine industry worldwide. Therefore, the development of a safe and effective medication for treating PoRV infection is imperative. This study provides the first report on the anti-PoRV activity of Portulaca oleracea L. (POL). Our findings demonstrate that POL-P has antiviral activity against PoRV infection in vitro, and thus might be developed into a novel antiviral agent to control PoRV in pig farms. Diarrhea is one of the most common causes of death in young piglets. Porcine rotavirus (PoRV) belongs to the genus Rotavirus within the family Reoviridae, and is considered to be the primary pathogen causing diarrhea in piglets. Portulaca oleracea L. (POL) has been reported to alleviate diarrhea and viral infections. However, the antiviral effect of Portulaca oleracea L. polysaccharide (POL-P), an active component of POL, on PoRV infection remains unclear. This study demonstrated that the safe concentration range of POL-P in IPEC-J2 cells is 0–400 μg/mL. POL-P (400 μg/mL) effectively inhibits PoRV infection in IPEC-J2 cells, reducing the expression of rotavirus VP6 protein, mRNA and virus titer. Furthermore, on the basis of viral life cycle analysis, we showed that POL-P can decrease the expression of PoRV VP6 protein, mRNA, and virus titer during the internalization and replication stages of PoRV. POL-P exerts antiviral effects by increasing IFN-α expression and decreasing the expression levels of TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-10 inflammatory factors. Overall, our study found that POL-P is a promising candidate for anti-PoRV drugs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]