Screening of the fruit pulp extract of Momordica balsamina for anti HIV property

Anti-HIV properties of the fruit pulp extract of Momordica balsamina, a plant of the cucurbitacea family commonly used in the Northern part of Nigeria for its anti-viral efficacy in poultry, was studied in vitro. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were prepared from both HIV sero positive and sero negative patients and categorized into group A (sero negative), group B (PBMC co-culture), group C (PBMC co-culture containing 3.12 mg/ml of the plant extract) and group D (only the enriched culture medium). The PBMCs were cultivated for 28 days using standard methods. CD4+ counts and virus detection assay (P24) were determined on the PBMC. Results showed that the plant extract treatment significantly (P<0.05) increased the CD4+ count when compared to the untreated PBMC, a contrary effect was observed on the P 24 antigen level (P<0.05). The implication of these findings is discussed. © 2007 Academic Journals.