Agent for inhibiting production of hepatitis c virus and its use

Abstract

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 R 1 is hydrogen or hydroxyl, R 2 is hydroxyl, R 3 is hydrogen when R 1 is either hydrogen or hydroxyl, but R 3 is possibly hydroxyl when R 1 is either hydrogen or hydroxyl to the extent that both R 1 and R 3 being hydroxyl is at most 40 percents in the proanthocyanidin polymer composition said 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.

1 . An agent for inhibiting production of hepatitis C virus comprising proanthocyanidin polymer composition as an active ingredient,
 said proanthocyanidin polymer composition having at least three monomer units, each of which consists of the flavan-3-ol illustrated in the general formula (1),   
     
       
         
         
             
             
         
       
       wherein R 1  is hydrogen or hydroxyl, R 2  is hydroxyl, R 3  is hydrogen when R 1  is either hydrogen or hydroxyl, but R 3  is possibly hydroxyl when R 1  is either hydrogen or hydroxyl to the extent that both R 1  and R 3  being hydroxyl is at most 40 percents in the proanthocyanidin polymer composition; 
       said units of flavan-3-ol being bonded each other in any one of three bond patterns as follows; 
       (i) the bond between carbon at the position 4 and carbon at the position 8, 
       (ii) the bond between carbon at the position 4 and carbon at the position 6, 
       (iii) the 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. 
     
   
   
       2 . An agent according to  claim 1 , wherein the R 4  of the monomer unit of flavan-3-ol is a gallate group. 
   
   
       3 . An agent according to  claim 1 , wherein the ratio between the concentration of proanthocyanidin polymer composition inhibiting 50 percents of hepatitis C virus proliferation activity and the concentration of proanthocyanidin polymer composition inhibiting 50 percents of cell proliferation activity is at most one tenth. 
   
   
       4 . An agent according to  claim 1 , wherein the proanthocyanidin polymer composition is 5 to 10 monomer units of flavan-3-ol. 
   
   
       5 . An agent according to  claim 4 , wherein the 5 to 10 monomer units of flavan-3-ol are bonded each other in any one of the three bonding patterns (i), (ii) and (iii). 
   
   
       6 . An agent according to  claim 1 , wherein the proanthocyanidin polymer composition comes from blueberry leaves. 
   
   
       7 . An agent for treating hepatic disease arisen from hepatitis C virus comprising the agent for inhibiting production of hepatitis C virus according to  claim 1 . 
   
   
       8 . An agent for inhibiting onset or development of hepatic disease arisen from hepatitis C virus comprising the agent for inhibiting production of hepatitis C virus according to  claim 1 . 
   
   
       9 . A medical composition or a prodrug for inhibition of onset or development, or treatment of hepatic disease arisen from hepatitis C virus comprising the agent for inhibiting production of hepatitis C virus according to  claim 1 . 
   
   
       10 . A dietary supplement for inhibiting onset or development of hepatic disease arisen from hepatitis C virus comprising the agent for inhibiting production of hepatitis C virus according to  claim 1 .