| abstract |
Pharmaceutical compsn. for treating hepatitis B virus (HBV) infections in humans and animals contains (apart from conventional carriers, diluents and additives) an iridoid glycoside or corresp. aglycone of formula (I) or its salt. In (I) R1 = H or OH; R2 = H or COOR6; R6 = H or lower alkyl; R3 = H or beta-D-glucose; R4 = OH, CH2OH or 3-phenyl-propenoyloxy; R5 = H, OH, O-beta-D-glucose or O-beta-D-glucose-C2-beta-D-glucose; C7-C8 = single bond, double bond (delta-7) or O(epoxy). (I) are administered orally or parenterally. Pref., (I) is selected from aucubin (Ia), geniposide, catalpol, rehmannioside, genipin, harpagoside, harpagide and their aglycones and salts. ADVANTAGE - (I) strongly inhibit HBV-DNA replication. They are natural products with low cytotoxicity and acute toxicity. |