A New Screening Method of Viral-neuraminidase Inhibitors

Abstract

A new and practical method for the screening of neuraminidase inhibitors (NI) by means of the viral hemagglutination (HA)-dehemagglutination (deHA) reactions was suggested. The best conditions for the HA and deHA reactions were investigated. Existence of strong inhibition activity on the viral deHA has been recognized in the culture filtrates of some strains of actinomycetes. All of these deHA inhibitors showed NI activity that is not specified to the strain of the test viruses. About 0.25mg/ml of the preparation obtained from the culture filtrate of the strongest actinomycetes, No. 289, inhibited the liberation of neuraminic acid from bovine submaxillary mucin by 80 HA units/ml of influenza A Fukuoka/1/70 (H₃N₂) virus up to 80%.