Indian J Pathol Microbiol 1996 Jul;39(3):211-5

Inhibition of HBsAg secretion from Alexander cell line by Phyllanthus amarus.

Alexander cell line, an human hepatocellular carcinoma derived cell line which has the property of secreting HBsAg in the supernatant was used to study the antiviral property of phyllanthus amarus. Aquous extract of Phyllanthus amarus was evaluated for its in vitro ability to inhibit HBsAg secretion on a dose dependent manner. It was seen that P. amarus at 1mg/ml concentration on a single dose inhibited the secretion of HBsAg for a period of 48 hours. This experiment proved the anti hepatitis B virus property of P. amarus at cellular level and further confirmed its beneficial use in the treatment of acute and chronic hepatitis B and healthy carriers of HBV.

J Nat Prod 1996 Feb;59(2):196-9

Niruriside, a new HIV REV/RRE binding inhibitor from Phyllanthus niruri.

During the screening of natural products for their ability to inhibit the binding of HIV-REV protein to [33P]-labeled RRE RNA, one novel compound, niruriside (1), was isolated from the MeOH extract of the dried leaf of Phyllanthus niruri L. by bioassay-guided fractionation. The structure of niruriside was determined by spectroscopic methods. Niruriside showed specific inhibitory activity against the binding of REV protein to RRE RNA with an IC50 value of 3.3 microM; however, niruriside did not protect CEM-SS cells from acute HIV infection at concentrations up to 260 microM using an XTT dye reduction assay.

Indian J Exp Biol 1995 Nov;33(11):861-4

Diuretic, hypotensive and hypoglycaemic effect of Phyllanthus amarus.

Diuretic, hypotensive and hypoglycaemic effects of Phyllanthus amarus (syn. Phyllanthus niruri) on human subjects were assessed. Nine mild hypertensives (four of them also suffering from diabetes mellitus) were treated with a preparation of the whole plant of P. amarus for 10 days. Suitable parameters were studied in the blood and urine samples of the subjects, along with physiological profile and dietary pattern before and after the treatment period. Significant increase in 24 hr urine volume, urine and serum Na levels was observed. A significant reduction in systolic blood pressure in non-diabetic hypertensives and female subjects was noted. Blood glucose was also significantly reduced in the treated group. Clinical observations revealed no harmful side effects. These observations indicate that P. amarus is a potential diuretic, hypotensive and hypoglycaemic drug for humans.

Gen Pharmacol 1995 Nov;26(7):1499-1506

Analysis of the mechanisms underlying the antinociceptive effect of the extracts of plants from the genus Phyllanthus.

1. We examine some of the mechanisms underlying the analgesic effects of the hydroalcoholic extracts (HE) of Phyllanthus urinaria and P. niruri against formalin-induced nociception in mice. In addition, we also investigate the action of both HEs against capsaicin-mediated pain. 2. Both prazosin and yohimbine (0.15 mg/kg, i.p.) induced a marked inhibition of the analgesic effect caused by phenylephrine (10 mg/kg, i.p.) and clonidine (0.1 mg/kg, i.p.), respectively, but had no effect on the antinociceptive action caused by HE of P. urinaria (10 mg/kg, i.p.) or P. niruri (30 mg/kg, i.p.). 3. NG-nitro-L-arginine (L-NOARG, 75 mg/kg, i.p.) caused marked analgesic effect against the second phase of formalin-induced pain. Treatment of animals with L-arginine (600 mg/kg) completely antagonized the antinociceptive effect of L-NOARG but had no significant effect against the HE of P. urinaria (10 mg/kg, i.p.) or P. niruri (30 mg/kg. i.p.) analgesic properties. 4. The antinociceptive effects caused by the HEs of P. urinaria (10 mg/kg, i.p.) and P. niruri (30 mg/kg, i.p.) were unaffected by methysergide (5 mg/kg, i.p.), p-chloro-phenylalanine-methyl-ester (100 mg/kg, i.p., once a day for 4 consecutive days) or after previous adrenalectomy of animals. 5. The HE of P. urinaria and P. niruri given either intraperitoneally (1-30 mg/kg) or orally (25-200 mg/kg) caused marked and dose-related inhibition of capsaicin-induced pain with ID50 of 2.1 and 6.1 mg/kg given intraperitoneally and 39 and 35 mg/kg given orally, respectively.

J Lab Clin Med 1995 Oct;126(4):350-2

Herbs of the genus Phyllanthus in the treatment of chronic hepatitis B: observations with three preparations from different geographic sites.

It has been suggested that herbs of the Phyllanthus family may have antiviral activity. We therefore tested the effects of three different Phyllanthus extracts on the serologic status of 123 patients with chronic hepatitis B. Eleven patients received an extract of Phyllanthus amarus (L) provided by S.P. Thyagarajan, Madras, India. Forty-two patients received Phyllanthus niruri (L), gathered from Hainan Province in China, and 35 patients received an extract of Phyllanthus urinaria (L), which had been gathered in Henan Province. Thirty-five control patients received no herbal therapy. The patients receiving Phyllanthus urinaria (L) were both more likely to lose detectable hepatitis B e-antigen from their serum and more likely to seroconvert hepatitis B e-antibody status from negative to positive than were patients given either of the other two preparations. No patient changed status with respect to hepatitis B s-antigen.

Chem Pharm Bull (Tokyo) 1995 Apr;43(4):641-8

Inhibitory effects of Egyptian folk medicines on human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) reverse transcriptase.

Extracts of 41 medicinal plants used in Egyptian folk medicine were screened for their inhibitory effects on human immunodeficiency virus-1 reverse transcriptase. The extracts of fruits of Phyllanthus emblica, Quercus pedunculata, Rumex cyprius, Terminalia bellerica, Terminalia chebula and Terminalia horrida showed significant inhibitory activity with IC50 < or = 50 micrograms/ml. Through a bioassay guided-fractionation of the methanol extract of the fruit of P. emblica, putranjivain A (1) was isolated as a potent inhibitory substance with IC50 = 3.9 microM, together with 1,6-di-O-galloyl-beta-D-glucose (2), 1-O-galloyl-beta-D-glucose (3), kaempferol-3-O-beta-D-glucoside (4), quercetin-3-O-beta-D-glucoside (5) and digallic acid (6). The inhibitory mode of action by 1, 2 and 6 was non-competitive with respect to the substrate but competitive with respect to a template-primer. Furthermore, the stereochemistry of 1 was established in this paper by nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy.