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

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