Nature 222, 574 - 575 (10 May 1969); doi:10.1038/222574b0

Electron Microscope Study of the Viricidal Properties of Sodium Magnesium-chlorophyllin

L. B. MEKLER, A. F. BYCHOVSKY & B. L. KRIKUN

Institute of Experimental and Clinical Oncology
N. F. Gamaleya Institute of Epidemiology and Microbiology, Academy of Medical Sciences, USSR.
M. F. Vladimirsky Regional Research Clinical Institute, Moscow.

THE therapeutic effect of sodium magnesium-chlorophylliu in patients with herpes simplex and herpes zoster¹ has aroused our interest in the mechanism of its viricidal activity. In the case of herpetic keratitis, locally applied sodium magnesium-chlorophyllin is as effective as kericid¹ (Smith, Kline and French Ltd, iodoxuridine 0.1 per cent, thiomersal 0.002 per cent in distilled water). Sodium magnesium-chlorophyllin isolated from conifer needles is active against viruses of the herpes group, vaccinia virus and myxoviruses (influenza A2 virus and Newcastle disease virus). Unlike sodium magnesium-chlorophyllin and a derivative of sodium-chlorophyllin in which the molecule lacks the metal atom in the centre of the por-phyrin ring, sodium-chlorophyllin with a copper atom in the centre of the porphyrin ring has not shown viricidal activity².

References

1.	Belenky, G. B., and Krikun, B. L., in Advances in Clinical and Experimental Medicine, 363 (in Russian) (Moscow, 1967).
2.	Krikun, B. L., Bull. Exp. Biol. and Med. (USSR) (in the press)
3.	Krikun, B. L., in Advances in Clinical and Experimental Medicine, 719 (in Russian) (Moscow, 1967).
4.	Krikun, B. L., in Advances in Clinical and Experimental Medicine, 716 (in Russian) (Moscow, 1967).
5.	Belenky, G. B., and Krikun, B. L., Soviet Med. (in the press).
6.	Vostrilova, N. V., thesis, Univ. Tashkent (in Russian) (1959).