A Hepatitis B Virus Inhibitory Neolignan from Herpetospermum caudigerum

A new dihydrobenzofuran neolignan, herpepropenal, was isolated from the seeds of Herpetospermum caudigerum. Its chemical structure was established based on spectroscopic analysis. In this work, the inhibitory effects of herpepropenal on hepatitis B virus DNA and on the replication and expression of hepatitis B surface antigen and hepatitis B e antigen were also evaluated. The new compound exhibited inhibitory effects against hepatitis B virus.