A combination of Polypodium leucotomos extract with vitamin A, vitamin C and selenium as an immune adjuvant against recurrent infections

Abstract

ABSTRACT Plant chemodiversity is a helpful tool for disease prevention and a basis for adjuvant treatments to conventional therapies. In this regard, the extract of Polypodium leucotomos rhizomes, PLE, has shown benefits fighting inflammation and recurrent infections but its molecular mechanism is poorly undersood. This work shows that Plesinox 3A, containing PLE, Vitamins A, C, and selenium, helps modulate the initial inflammatory response triggered by bacterial LPS through the upregulation of IL8 and IL10, together with downregulation of COX2, IL1B and TNF, in a more efficient manner than PLE alone. Additionally, this formulation enhances the antiviral response through the upregulation of MX1, IFNA1 and IFNG in different cell types. Finally, the addition of vitamins and selenium to PLE in Plesinox 3A greatly boosts the anti-bacterial properties of PLE alone. Overall, these findings support the combined use of PLE, vitamins, and selenium, in the form of Plesinox 3A as an immune booster to prevent recurrent infections, highlighting a gene set potentially involved in its beneficial effect, as well as showing its direct anti-bacterial properties, which are greater than those of PLE alone.