Lipoxygenase-inhibitory action of antiviral polymeric oxidation products of polyphenols.

Various polymeric oxidation products of polyphenols strongly inhibited the purified lipoxygenase of rabbit reticulocytes, whereas the prostaglandin H synthase of sheep vesicular gland was only weakly inhibited. The oxidized polymeric preparations of caffeic acid, 2,5-dihydroxytoluene and 3,4-dihydroxytoluene were the most potent lipoxygenase inhibitors. Since such preparations are also known to inhibit herpes simplex virus in an early stage of the virus-cell interaction it is proposed that lipoxygenase metabolites are involved in virus-induced changes in the cell metabolism.