Biol. Pharm. Bull. 29(10) 2131—2134 (2006)

tis, which affects nearly 350 million people worldwide. Moreover, HBV plays a critical role in the development of chronic hepatitis and hepatocellular carcinoma. Since the non-human host range of HBV is restricted to a few animals, such as the chimpanzee, the development of new therapeutics for HBV has been hampered. A HepG2-derived HBV producing cell line was developed to identify potential therapeutics against HBV infection. The HepG2.2.15 cell line, derived through transfection of a cloned HBV gene into the human hepatoblastoma cell line HepG2, was established for potential anti-HBV active agents. In this system, extracellular levels of viral DNA and intracellular viral DNA replication intermediates were used as reliable markers for HBV DNA replication, which could be analyzed in a quantitative manner using the blot hybridization technique. The root of Paeonia lactiflora PALL. is used in many traditional prescriptions in China and Korea. It is commonly used in nourishing blood, activating circulation, alleviating pain, regulating menstruation, and treating liver disease and cancer. We examined the antiviral activity of the root of P. lactiflora and identified 1,2,3,4,6-penta-O-galloyl-b-D-glucose (PGG) from the crude drug by activity-guided fractionation. PGG is a major bioactive constituent of the root of P. lactiflora, the root cortex of Paeonia suffruticosa ANDR., and the root of Sanguisorba officinalis L. It has been reported that PCG has several activities such as anti-mutagenicity in the Ames test of benzo(a)pyrene, chemoprevention in tumor promoter-mediated oxidative processes, anti-invasive activity in highly metastatic mouse melanoma, antiviral effects against respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) multiplication. In the present study, PGG from the root of P. lactiflora was examined for the inhibition of HBV replication, and HBeAg and HBsAg production in HepG2.2.15 cells. MATERIALS AND METHODS