Abstract
Abstract Ginseng (GS) has been used as an herbal remedy for centuries but its immunomodulatory effects remain unclear. Here we report the effects of standardized North-American ginseng (Panax quinquefollius) extracts (ethanol, aqueous and polysaccharide extracts) on innate and adaptive immune responses of human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of healthy volunteers. We found that endotoxin (LPS)-free GS by itself induced the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-1β, IL-6, TNFα) and of IL-10 by PBMCs in a dose-dependent manner. Of the three extracts of GS tested, the aqueous extract was the most potent. GS extracts did not inhibit but rather enhanced the pro-inflammatory response induced by LPS. However, the T cell IL-2 response to bacterial superantigens was down-regulated in the presence of GS. Next, we examined the signalling pathways involved in the immune response to GS. We found that the GS aqueous extract activated the MAPK (ERK1/2, p38), the PI3K/Akt, and the NFκB pathways. Inhibition of src kinases and PKC decreased GS-induced cytokine production whereas inhibition of PI3K selectively blocked IL-10 production. Based on these results, we conclude that GS, and in particular its aqueous extract, has modulatory properties on innate and adaptive immunity. This work should help to focus the search for compounds in these extracts with specific immunomodulatory activities.
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