Study	Reason for exclusion
Berk 1991	Randomised, double‐blind, cross‐over trial. Ten patients were allocated to Phyllanthus amarus group or placebo group; patients received Phyllanthus amarus treatment for 28 days followed by placebo for 28 days, or received placebo for 28 days followed by Phyllanthus amarus for 28 days; the results of the first treatment period were not reported.
Blumberg 1989	Description of data from another study in this systematic review.
Chen 1986	Randomised clinical trial comparing Fuganning (herbal compound) versus non‐specific treatment, but using bifendate when ALT level was above 400 U/L in patients of control group.
Chen 1992	Randomised trial comparing different formula of the same herb, i.e., lipid‐coated Cordycops polysaccharide versus Cordycops polysaccharide alone.
Chen 1997	Randomised trial comparing two different herbal medicines, Zishen Rougan granule versus Yigan Yangyin Huoxue granule.
Ding 1995	Randomised trial comparing two different herbal medicines, Hong Bao versus Ganbifu.
Feng 1992	Randomised trial comparing two different herbal prescriptions, Compound Yigan No. 1 versus Mieaoling.
Fu 1992	Randomised trial comparing ara‐A dauricine plus Chinese herbs versus ara‐A dauricine alone.
Fu 1994	Randomised trial comparing two different herbal ingredients, Potenlini plus Cinobufacin versus Caryophyllin plus Yiganling and vitamin C.
Hu 1992	Randomised trial comparing two different medicinal herbs, Shenqi Yigan granule versus Ganbifu tablet.
Hu 2000	Randomised trial comparing a mixture of herbs versus another herbal medicine plus non‐specific treatment.
Li 1995	Randomised trial comparing Ginkgo Biloba composita (a herbal mixture) versus control interventions that included another formula, Mythic fungus syrup, plus thymosin and vitamins.
Li 1997	Randomised trial comparing Potenlini Injection (a herbal extract) versus Yiganling and Hulusu tablets (another two herbal formula).
Liu 1996	Randomised trial comparing Astragali composita versus three different herbal medicines (control interventions).
Liu 1997	Quasi‐randomised trial comparing Chaoyang Wan (herbal pills) versus another herbal medicine (Yiganyiqi granule).
Lou 1997	Prospective controlled study without random allocation comparing Erzhi pill (compound of herbs) versus vitamin C and vitamin B co in 158 patients with chronic hepatitis B.
Lv 1996	Randomised double‐blind trial, comparing two herbal medicinal prescriptions: Composita No 319 capsule versus Dahuang Zhecong Wan capsule.
Ma 1997	Randomised trial comparing Chinese herbs '9250' (compound of 13 herbs) versus Potenlini (extract of herb) in 120 patients with chronic active hepatitis B and posthepatitis cirrhosis.
Miao 1998	Randomised trial. Experimental interventions included thymosin plus Phyllanthus amarus (herbal medicine) and acyclovir; control intervention was comprehensive treatment. However, the use of co‐interventions in experimental group led to exclusion.
Milne 1994	Randomised, placebo‐controlled trial comparing Phyllanthus amarus versus placebo in "healthy carriers" of HBV infection.
Nurul 1998	The study reports an observational study and a randomised trial. The participants in the randomised trial were 20 cases of chronic hepatitis, but no virological diagnosis was given.
Oka 1995	An observational study.
Qiu 1993	Randomised, double‐blind, placebo‐controlled trial comparing Gan Ling Wan (herbal compound) versus placebo in 93 patients with viral hepatitis and 76 asymptomatic HBV carriers. The 93 patients with viral hepatitis included acute and chronic active hepatitis with no virologic diagnosis and the results were not reported separately.
Tajiri 1991	Controlled clinical trial without randomisation.
Thamlikitkul 1991	Randomised trial using asymptomatic HBsAg carriers with normal liver enzymes as participants.
Thyagarajan 1988	Randomised double‐blind, placebo‐controlled trial comparing Phyllanthus amarus versus placebo. The participants included 28 symptom‐free carriers of hepatitis B virus, 14 carriers with symptoms and 18 carriers with glomerular nephritis, but the outcomes were not reported separately. We have written a letter to the authors and if we get useful information, it will be included in this review.
Thyagarajan 1990	Observational study without control group.
Tian 1998	Randomised trial comparing Chai Hu Huoxue Jiedu decoction (compound of 13 herbs) versus Yiganling (compound of herbs) plus acyclovir in 194 patients with chronic hepatitis B.
Wang 1991b	A total of 154 patients with chronic active hepatitis B were randomised into three group. Syrup tonifying kidney (experimental group) versus another syrup made of three herbs plus bifendate plus Stringy stonecrop herb plus Yiganling, and versus Bianzheng recipe.
Wang 1992a	Randomised trial comparing two herbal compounds: Huoxue Jiedu Fuzheng recipe versus Qingre Jiedu recipe.
Wang 1994b	A total of 300 patients with chronic hepatitis B were randomised into three group: poly‐inosinic and cytidylic acid (Poly I:C) plus hepatitis B vaccination (HBvac) versus Potenlini plus HBvac versus Polyporus umbellatus polysaccharide plus HBvac.
Wang 1996	Randomised trial comparing Polyporus umbellatus polysaccharide (a herbal extract) plus anti‐hepatitis B immune ribonucleic acid versus IFN.
Wang 1999a	Randomised trial comparing two herbal medicines: Gankang versus Yiganning.
Wen 1998	Randomised trial comparing Chinese herbs (a compound of 11 herbs) versus Xiaoyaosan (compound of herbs) in 84 patients with chronic hepatitis B.
Wu 1991	Randomised trial comparing matrine injection (an ingredient from herbal extraction) versus Yinzhihuang injection and Salviae miltiorrhizae injection (two other herb extracts).
Wu 1994	Quasi‐randomised trial comparing Chaoyang Wan (a herbal compound) versus Stringy stonecrop herb granule.
Xiong 1993	Randomised trial comparing two medicinal herbs: Salviae miltiorrhizae versus Polyporus umbellatus polysaccharide.
Yamamoto 1983	Non‐randomised clinical study.
Yu 1991	Randomised trial comparing Angelic acid plus phetolamine versus non‐specific treatment. However, the use of co‐intervention in the experimental group (phetolamine) led to exclusion.
Yu 1999a	Randomised trial comparing Jianpi Shugan syrup (a herbal compound) versus control interventions including anti‐hepatitis B immune ribonucleic acid plus bifendate and vitamin C in 60 children with chronic hepatitis B.
Zhang 1992	Randomised trial comparing Phyllanthus amarus plus basic treatment versus Indigowood root plus basic treatment.
Zhang 1993b	Randomised trial comparing two herbal medicines: Yiganning granule versus oleanolic acid.
Zhang 1993c	Randomised trial comparing diammonium glycyrrhizinate (active ingredient of herb) versus a similar drug, Potenlini (herbal extracts).
Zhang 1996	Randomised trial comparing two Chinese herbal compounds: Yigan Kangte capsule versus Mieaoling capsule.
Zhang 1997	Randomised trial comparing two Chinese herbs: Keganling tablet versus Mieaoling tablet.
Zheng 1992	Randomised trial studying herbal treatment of chronic liver diseases including chronic hepatitis and liver cirrhosis, but no virological diagnosis was given.
Zhou 1993	Randomised trial comparing two similar herbal extracts: diammonium glycyrrizinate (active ingredient of herb) capsule versus glycyrrhizin tablet.
Zhu 1992	Randomised trial comparing two different formulations of Phyllanthus urinaria (decoction and granule) versus poly I:C.
Zhuo 1985	Controlled clinical trial without random allocation, comparing compound Chinese medicine pill (848) with no treatment in chronic asymptomatic HBV carriers with normal liver function.