Abstract: In order to find new plant virus inhibitors, tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) was used as the test virus. It was found that the extract of Salvia tiliifolia, an invasive plant, showed anti-TMV activity. Screening by the half-leaf method along with different treatment pattern of extract, the petroleum ether extract showed the strongest protective effect and inactivation effect at the concentration of 1 mg/mL, with inhibition rate of 40.95% and 52.85% respectively. The ethyl acetate extract showed the best curative effect with the inhibition rate of 52.85%, which was not significantly different from Ningnanmycin, a positive control. Among fractions of petroleum ether extracts, Fr7 showed the best protective effect and curative effect, with the inhibition rate of 40.51% and 45.52% respectively, and Fr6 showed potent inactive effect with the inhibition rate of 74.63%. Among fractions of ethyl acetate extracts, Fr1′ showed the strongest protective effect with an inhibition rate of 61.77%, Fr3′ displayed the best curative effect with an inhibition rate of 55.02%, and Fr4′ showed potent inactive effect with the inhibition rate of 60.22%. Five compounds were separated and identified by modern chromatographic spectrum technologies, they were tilifodiolide, eupatoric acid, ursolic acid, oleanolic acid, and 2-methyl-5,7-dioxy chromone.

Key words: Salvia tiliifolia, chemical constituents, separation and purification, tobacco mosaic virus(TMV), anti-TMV activity