title: In vitro antiviral activities of Chinese medicinal herbs against duck hepatitis B virus.
abstract: Fifty-six different Chinese medicinal herbs from 29 families were evaluated for their antiviral activities against duck hepatitis B virus (DHBV) in vitro. The DHBV DNA level in primary duck hepatocyte cultures was monitored by dot blot hybridization and the cytotoxicity was evaluated by MTT assay. Anti-DHBV activities were found more strongly in the aqueous extracts of Ardisia chinensis and Pithecellobium clypearia with selective indices of 2.6 and >2.7, respectively, which were comparable to that of 2',3'-dideoxycytidine. Further research on the isolation of the active antiviral phytochemicals from these herbs may provide alternative options for the treatment of chronic hepatitis B.
authors.affiliation: Natural Product and TCM Pharmacology Research Laboratory, Department of Biology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, N. T., Hong Kong, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: K T
authors.initials: KT
authors.lastname: Leung
authors.forename: Lawrence C M
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: Chiu
authors.forename: W S
authors.initials: WS
authors.lastname: Lam
authors.forename: Yaolan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Samuel S M
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.forename: Vincent E C
authors.initials: VE
authors.lastname: Ooi
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000633:toxicity; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000633:toxicity; D004372:Ducks; D015611:Hepatitis B Virus, Duck / Q000187:drug effects*; D022781:Hepatocytes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000821:virology; D010946:Plants, Medicinal / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D000998:Antiviral Agents; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal