Inhibition of hepatitis B virus by an aqueous extract of Agrimonia eupatoria L.

Inhibition of HBsAg release against hepatitis B virus (HBV) was investigated in an aqueous extract prepared from the aerial parts (stems and leaves) of Agrimonia eupatoria. The inhibitory effect on HBsAg secretion was footed using aqueous extracts of Agrimonia eupatoria at four different temperatures (37 degrees C 45 degrees C, 55 degrees C and 60 degrees C), and the extract prepared at 60 degrees C was found to have the greatest effect. The inhibitory activity of Agrimonia eupatoria extracts on HBsAg secretion varied over the growing season and was the highest at mid-July. This inhibitory activity was also shown with the aqueous extracts of two other species of the genus Agrimonia: A. pilosa and A. coreana pilosella. These results suggest that some plants of the genus Agrimonia contain potential antiviral activity against HBV.