Effects of Steroidal Compounds on Viruses.

Abstract

Viral infections are ubiquitous, and their prevention and treatment have become a great challenge. Steroids have different biological activities, including antiviral activity, which is related to steroid structural diversity. With the intensive study of steroids, it has been found that steroids can interfere with almost any step of the viral life cycle to exert antiviral activity. In this article, we review the antiviral activity and mechanism of action of steroids and their derivatives against a range of human viruses and conclude that natural steroids and their derivatives are very promising antiviral drug candidates that deserve further study to elucidate their pharmacological potential.