HEPATITIS B VIRUS

Dried leaves of Marchantia convoluta are largely used to protect livers,and to treat tumefaction of skins in China. Flavonoids from Marchantia Convoluta (MCF) was one of the mostpotentially effective anti-inflammatory. MCF was studied here for its ability to inhibit the proliferation of 2,2,15 cells(clone cells derived from HepG2 cells that were transected with a plasmid containing HBV, DNA). All concentrations(5,10,20 and 40 :g/ml) of MCF inhibit hepatitis B surface antigen (HbsAg) and hepatitis B E antigen (HbeAg) in thecultured medium released from 2.2.15 cells. Analysis of morphological changes of MCF-treated phase- contrastmicroscope revealed a possible model of action for MCF to inhibit Proliferation of 2.2.15 cells by inducing apoptosis.