Agent for inhibiting production of hepatitis C virus and its use

摘要

This invention provides an agent for inhibiting production of hepatitis C virus with notable anti-HCV activity and without side-effects. The agent comprises a proanthocyanidin polymer composition illustrated in the following the general formula (1),;wherein R1 is hydrogen or hydroxyl, R2 is hydroxyl, R3 is hydrogen when R1 is either hydrogen or hydroxyl, but R3 is possibly hydroxyl when R1 is either hydrogen or hydroxyl to the extent that both R1 and R3 being hydroxyl is at most 40 percents in the proanthocyanidin polymer compositionsaid units of flavan-3-ol being bonded each other in any one of three patterns as follows;(i) a bond between carbon at the position 4 and carbon at the position 8,(ii) a bond between carbon at the position 4 and carbon at the position 6,(iii) a bond between carbon at the position 4 and carbon at the position 8, and between carbon, at the position 2 and oxygen at the position 7.

主权项

1. A method for producing a composition for inhibiting production of hepatitis C virus (HCV), comprising:
preparing a proanthocyanidin composition having an anti-HCV production activity value (IC50) which is: less than 0.61 μg/ml, and less than or equal to one tenth of the concentration of the proanthocyanidin composition for inhibiting 50% of cell proliferation (CC50); and comprising a proanthocyanidin having 5 to 10 monomer units, each of which consists of the flavan-3-ol illustrated in the general formula (1): wherein R1 is hydrogen, R2 is hydroxyl, R3 is hydrogen or hydroxyl, R4 is hydrogen or a gallate group, and n is 5-10; said units of flavan-3-ol being bonded to each other in any one of three bond patterns as follows: (i) the bond between carbon at position 4 and carbon at position 8, (ii) the bond between carbon at position 4 and carbon at position 6, (iii) the bond between carbon at position 4 and carbon at position 8, and between carbon at position 2 and oxygen at position 7; and forming the composition for inhibiting production of HCV comprising the proanthocyanidin composition.