Immunomodulatory Activity of Alcohol Extract of &lt;i&gt;Terminalia chebula&lt;/i&gt; Retz Combretaceae

V Aher,A Wahi

doi:10.4314/tjpr.v10i5.5

Abstract

Purpose: To investigate the immunomodulatory activity of the alcohol extract of Terminalia chebula Retz (Combretaceae) dried ripe fruits at the cellular level. Methods: For antioxidant study, the liver mitochondria were separated and used for the estimation of enzymes catalase (CAT) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) - as well as lipid peroxidation (LPO) and reduced glutathione (GSH); Melatonin secretion was characterized using sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) while spleen lymphocyte proliferation assay was performed by measuring optical density at 570 nm using ELISA reader. The cytokines, namely, IL-2, IL-10 and TNF-α expression in spleen cells, were determined by real time polymerase chain reaction (RTPCR) Results: Terminalia chebula extract (100 mg/kg/p.o.) increased the level of liver mitochondrial enzymes CAT and SO) as well as GSH but decreased the level of LPO in the liver when compared to the vehicle, sheep red blood cells (SRBC) and cyclophosphamide-treated groups. Secretion of melatonin by pineal gland was enhanced by T. chebula treatment. The extract also increased spleen lymphocyte proliferation. Based on RT-PCR analysis, the expression of cytokines, viz, IL-2, IL-10 and TNF-α, was more in T. chebula -treated than in vehicle- and cyclophosphamide- treated groups. Conclusion: This study confirms the immunomodulatory activity of ripe T. chebula fruits as evidenced by increase in the concentration of antioxidant enzymes, GSH, T and B cells, the proliferation of which play important roles in immunity. This phenomenon also enhances the concentration of melatonin in pineal gland as well as the levels of cytokines, such as IL-2,IL-10 and TNF-α, which play important roles in immunity. Keywords: Terminalia chebula , Antioxidants, SDS-PAGE, Lymphocytes proliferation, Real-time PCR, Immunity

Highlights

Herbal medicine has become an integral part of standard healthcare, based on a combination of time-honoured traditional usage and ongoing scientific research
The present study shows that T. chebula alcohol extract inhibited lipid peroxidation compared to treatment with sheep red blood cells (SRBC) and cyclophosphamide
Our studies showed that there was distinct increase in the levels of glutathione, superoxide dismutase and catalase following treatment with T. chebula as alcohol extract compared to treatment with SRBC and cyclophosphamide

Summary

Introduction

Herbal medicine has become an integral part of standard healthcare, based on a combination of time-honoured traditional usage and ongoing scientific research. Rising interest in medicinal herbs has increased scientific scrutiny of their therapeutic potentials and safety. Some of the medicinal plants are believed to enhance the natural resistance of the body to infections [1]. Many therapeutic effects, to the best of our knowledge, no data are available on the immunomodulatory effect of the dry ripe fruits of Terminalia chebula at the cellular level. The objective of the present study was to assess the immunomodulatory potential of the alcohol extract of the dry ripe fruit of this plant at the cellular and molecular levels using Wistar male rats. Immunostimulation and immunosuppression both need to be tackled in order to regulate normal immunological functioning. Stimulatory or suppressive agents which possess activity to normalize or modulate pathophysiological processes are called immunomodulatory agents

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