Proanthocyanidin from blueberry leaves suppresses expression of subgenomic hepatitis C virus RNA.

ABSTRACT: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is a major cause of chronic liver disease such as chronic hepatitis, cirrhosis, and hepatocellular carcinoma. While searching for new natural anti-HCV agents in agricultural products, we found a potent inhibitor of HCV RNA expression in extracts of blueberry leaves when examined in an HCV subgenomic replicon cell culture system. This activity was observed in a methanol extract fraction of blueberry leaves and was purified by repeated fractionations in reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography. The final purified fraction showed a 63-fold increase in specific activity compared with the initial methanol extracts and was composed only of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen. Liquid chromatography/mass-ion trap-time of flight analysis and butanol-HCl hydro

SUBMITTER: Takeshita M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2755839 | biostudies-literature | 2009 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature