Evaluation of antiviral in vitro and in silico activity of Psidium guajava L alcoholic extract against Influenza A/(H1N1)pdm09

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Introduction The emergence of extreme drug-resistant influenza strains necessitates the development of novel antiviral agents. Natural products offer a promising avenue for discovering effective treatments against influenza viruses.Areas covered This study evaluated the antiviral potential of ethanolic and methanolic extracts of Psidium guajava L. against Influenza A/(H1N1)pdm09 virus using in vitro and in silico approaches. Cytotoxicity and antiviral activity were assessed in MDCK cells (CC50 > 100 µg/mL). Phytochemical analyses using FTIR and GC-MS were performed for the identification of major bioactive compounds and further evaluated for assessed antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Molecular docking and dynamics simulation studies have explored potential mechanisms of action. The extracts exhibited significant antiviral effects, particularly in co-treatment, with ethanolic extract reducing viral load by 99.99% and methanolic extract by 99.96%. Post-treatment efficacy was lower but still notable. The key bioactive compounds, including γ-sitosterol and Caryophylla-4(12),8(13)-dien-5α-ol, demonstrated strong binding affinities to viral proteins such as hemagglutinin, M2, neuraminidase, and polymerase.Expert opinion/commentary The findings suggest that P. guajava extracts possess multi-targets antiviral activity against Influenza A virus with strong safety and therapeutic potential. The current study highlights the need for further pre-clinical and clinical evaluations to validate their efficacy as alternative antiviral agents.