AU - Chang, Jia-Ming AU - Huang, Kai-Ling TI - Complementary and alternative therapies in the treatment of chronic hepatitis B PT - REVI DP - 2007 Jan 1 TA - Hepatitis B Annual PG - 72-106 VI - 4 IP - 1 4099- https://www.hepatitisbannual.org/article.asp?issn=0972-9747;year=2007;volume=4;issue=1;spage=72;epage=106;aulast=Chang;type=0 4100- https://www.hepatitisbannual.org/article.asp?issn=0972-9747;year=2007;volume=4;issue=1;spage=72;epage=106;aulast=Chang AB - Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infects approximately more than 350 million people worldwide, especially in Asia, Africa, southern Europe and Latin America. Except for interferon-α, most anti-HBV drugs are derived from the anti-herpes and anti-HIV drugs. Because of the high cost of hepatitis B medications, herbs-also called 'complementary and alternative therapies' in modern Western science-are widely used for treatment of chronic hepatitis B in developing countries. Herbals confer their activities not only by inhibiting HBV secretion but also by building up immunity against viruses. After studying the anti-HBV mechanism of herbs, scientists were encouraged to find that novel anti-HBV drugs target viral secretion, whereas nucleoside analogues target viral polymerase. The complementary and alternative anti-HBV therapies published in scientific peer-reviewed journals are reviewed and discussed in this article.