Tropical Journal of Pharmaceutical Research

Original Research Article | OPEN ACCESS

Anti-hepatitis B viral activity of Phyllanthus niruri L (Phyllanthaceae) in HepG2/C3A and SK-HEP-1 cells

Yong Li, Xin Li, Jia-Kun Wang, Yan Kuang, Ming-Xiu Qi

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Laiwu City, Shandong Province, China;

For correspondence:- Ming-Xiu Qi Email: qimingxiu@hotmail.com Tel:+866348677950

Received: 23 March 2016 Accepted: 19 July 2017 Published: 31 August 2017

Citation: Li Y, Li X, Wang J, Kuang Y, Qi M. Anti-hepatitis B viral activity of Phyllanthus niruri L (Phyllanthaceae) in HepG2/C3A and SK-HEP-1 cells. Trop J Pharm Res 2017; 16(8):1873-1879 doi: 10.4314/tjpr.v16i8.17

© 2017 The authors.
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Abstract

Purpose: To investigate the effectiveness of an ethanol extract of Phyllanthus niruri against hepatitis B viral (HBV) infection in human HepG2/C3A cells.

Methods: An ellagic acid-rich ethanol fraction was obtained from P. niruri (Euphorbiaceae) by extraction and thin-layer chromatography. The anti-HBV activity of the fraction was evaluated in vitro against HepG2/C3A cells. The physicochemical characteristics of the fraction were assessed by nuclear magnetic resonance (¹H and ¹²C-NMR).

Results: The isolated active compound showed a half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC₅₀) of 120 µg/mL. Ellagic acid had no effect on HBV DNA replication at the concentrations evaluated, and did not inhibit the reproduction of HBV. However, the ethanol fraction inhibited the growth of HBV-infected HepG2/C3A cells.

Conclusion: The findings suggest that the ethanol fraction of P. niruri inhibits HBV, and that the active component is not ellagic acid.

Keywords: Phyllanthus niruri, Anti-HBeAg, Hepatitis B virus