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Published on: February 1, 2017
Havachoobe (Onosma dichroanthum Boiss) Root Extract Decreases the Hepatitis B Virus Surface Antigen Secretion in the
Alireza Mohebbi1,2,3, Fahimeh Azadi4, Mohammad Mostakhdem Hashemi4
1Student Research Committee, School of Medicine, Golestan University of Medical Sciences, Gorgan, Iran, mohebbi-a@goums.ac.ir.
Background:
Many efforts are currently focused on functional treatment of the hepatitis B virus (HBV). This can be done by suppressing the secretion of HBV surface antigen (HBsAg). Scientific communities are very interested in natural products in that respect.
Objective:
Use of root extract of Havachoobe (Onosma dichroanthum BoissI), a Northern Iranian native medical herb, for assessment of its anti-HBsAg secretion activity.
Methods:
Havachoobe had been bought at a nearby apothecary store. Plant root extract was obtained using a hydroalcoholic process. Cytotoxic activity of the extract was examined on PLC/PRF/5 cells using MTT assay. ELISA has been used to measure HBsAg in the treated cell line supernatants. In addition, real-time PCR analysis was performed to evaluate the expression of HBsAg before and after treatment of Onosma in vitro.
Results:
The results showed very low root extract cytotoxicity at concentrations under 8 μg/mL. Tissue culture infectious dose 50 was obtained at 63.78 μg/mL. In a dose-dependent and time-dependent manner, a significantly reduced HBsAg secretion was observed at a concentration of 8 ppm at 12 h post-treatment. The real-time PCR result showed relative decreased HBsAg expression at all doses at 12 h post-treatment time.
Discussion:
In this study, we first reported anti-HBsAg activity on an Iranian herbal medicine. Havachoobe root extract was shown to be able to inhibit HBsAg in a dose-dependent and time-dependent manner. We find the extract exerts its inhibitory effect of HBsAg by targeting transcription of HBsAg.
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