<b>Tomatidine Derivatives Suppress </b><b><i>Dengue Virus</i></b><b> Infection Through Entry and Post-Entry Inhibition</b>

The only vaccine approved by the FDA, Dengvaxia, has limited effectiveness and is not authorized for use in India. Tomatidine, a steroidal alkaloid obtained from <i>Solanum</i> species, has demonstrated broad-spectrum antiviral properties, leading to the investigation of its derivatives for their anti-DENV activity.

In the current study, the anti-DENV potential of twelve such derivatives was assessed using a combination of <i>in vitro</i> and <i>in silico </i>approaches.<i> </i>this study, Vero CCL-81 cells were used to evaluate the cytotoxicity and antiviral effects of the derivatives in pre-, co-, and post-treatment settings. The results indicated that the derivatives 5c, 5d and 5f possessed the most potent antiviral effect. 5d achieved a 2.81 log decrease in viral RNA, while both 5f and 5c suppressed viral activity under both pre- and post-treatment conditions (5f has a selectivity index of 43.36), including the entry phase, as indicated by the entry assay.