Monoterpenes from Paeonia sinjiangensis Inhibit the Replication of Hepatitis B Virus

Two new monoterpenes, 4 ² -hydroxy-3 ² -methoxyalbiflorin (1) and 6 ¢ -O-p-hydroxybenzoyl-4 ² -hydroxyalbiflorin (2), together with six known monoterpenes, which were albiflorin (3), oxypaeoniflorin (4), paeoniflorin (5), paeonins A (6), paeonins B (7) and benzoylpaeoniflorin (8) respectively, were isolated from the root material of Paeonia sinjiangensis. The compounds were identified by spectral analysis and comparison with spectroscopic data reported in the literatures. When the in vitro anti-hepatitis B virus (HBV) activities of compounds 1-8 were evaluated, all the isolated monoterpenes, except 6, reduced the yield of HBV DNA, suppressed HBsAg and HBeAg protein production from HepG2215 cell culture system, with compound 1 exhibiting the greatest potential.