Shahrekord University of Medical Sciences Journal of Herbmed Pharmacology 2345-5004 15 4 2026 10 01 In vitro and in vivo studies of medicinal plants against hepatitis B and hepatitis C infections: A narrative review 433 444 10.34172/jhp.53715 EN Shabila Lintang Ramadhani https://orcid.org/0009-0004-5231-8835 Tutik Sri Wahyuni https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2049-7774 Achmad Fuad Hafid https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0570-7975 Chie Aoki-Utsubo https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0466-5398 Youdiil Ophinni https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9443-1538 Journal Article 10.34172/jhp.53715 2026 02 24 2026 05 16 Hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) infections remain major global health problems. This review summarizes current evidence on medicinal plants with reported antiviral activity against HBV and HCV, focusing on experimental models and underlying molecular mechanisms. A narrative review approach was used to identify and present relevant studies from PubMed, Scopus, ScienceDirect, and Google Scholar using keywords related to hepatitis viruses and medicinal plants. Relevant studies were selected based on their relevance to the topic, particularly those reporting antiviral activity in in vitro and in vivo models. The findings were synthesized narratively by organizing the evidence according to plant species, extract types, viral targets, and mechanisms of antiviral action. Medicinal plants contained diverse bioactive compounds with antiviral potential, including flavonoids, alkaloids, chalcones, polysaccharides, and polyphenols. Evidence from in vitro and in vivo studies indicates that these compounds may inhibit viral attachment and entry, suppress polymerase activity, reduce hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) and hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg) secretion, interfere with capsid assembly, and inhibit HCV non-structural proteins. Notable compounds such as epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), silibinin, quercetin derivatives, and solanopubamine demonstrated reductions in viral nucleic acid levels and improvements in liver-related outcomes in experimental models. Medicinal plants are promising antiviral sources against HBV and HCV due to their multi-target bioactive compounds. However, variability in extracts and limited clinical evidence require further standardized and clinical studies to confirm their therapeutic use.