1'S-1'-acetoxychavicol acetate isolated from Alpinia galanga inhibits human immunodeficiency virus type 1 replication by blocking Rev transport.

AIDS remains a major global health concern. Despite a number of therapeutic advancements, there is still an urgent need to develop a new class of therapy for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Here, it was shown that 1'S-1'-acetoxychavicol acetate (ACA), a small molecular compound isolated from the rhizomes of Alpinia galanga, inhibited Rev transport at a low concentration by binding to chromosomal region maintenance 1 and accumulating full-length HIV-1 RNA in the nucleus, resulting in a block in HIV-1 replication in peripheral blood mononuclear cells. Additionally, ACA and didanosine acted synergistically to inhibit HIV-1 replication. Thus, ACA may represent a novel treatment for HIV-1 infection, especially in combination with other anti-HIV drugs.