Article ID: JJID.2014.309
Based on multipurpose cohort studies, coffee consumption reduces the risk of hepatocellular carcinoma, one of the main causes of which is hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. Here, we focused on the effect of caffeic acid, a major organic acid derived from coffee, on the propagation of HCV using an in vitro naïve HCV particle-infection and production system within human hepatoma-derived Huh7.5.1-8 cells. When cells were treated with 1% coffee extract or 0.1% caffeic acid for 1-h after HCV infection, the amount of HCV particles released into the medium at 3 and 4 days post-infection were considerably decreased. HCV-infected cells were cultured with 0.001% caffeic acid for 4 days, which was sufficient to decrease the amount of HCV particles released into the medium. Caffeic acid treatment inhibited the initial stage of HCV infection, i.e., between virion entry and the translation of the RNA genome. This inhibitory effect was observed against both HCV genotypes 1b and 2a. These results suggested that treatment of cells with caffeic acid inhibited HCV propagation.
