Inhibition of Zika Virus Replication by Synthetic Bis-Naphthoquinones

Zika virus (ZIKV) is a mosquito-borne pathogen which is a current global public health concern. There are currently no approved vaccines or antivirals against ZIKV infection. Taking into account that naphthoquinones have shown promising antiviral activity, the aim of this study was to describe the screening of two bis-naphthoquinones series against ZIKV. Twenty seven compounds were evaluated against ZIKV using Vero cells. The findings showed that among the compounds analyzed four were promising. Compound 3,3’-((2-nitrophenyl)methylene)bis(2-hydroxynaphthalene-1,4-dione) containing the nitro group at the ortho position showed the best selectivity index, followed by compound 3,3’-(4-chlorophenylmethylene)bis(naphthalene-1,2,4-triyl triacetate) with the chlorophenylmethylene radical. These results demonstrate that these bis-naphthoquinones are largely effective in inhibiting the replication of ZIKV.