Abstract
Immune dysfunction, which is responsible for the development of human diseases including cancer, is caused by a variety of factors. Therefore, regulation of the factors influencing the immune response is a potentially effective strategy to counter diseases. Presently, several immune adjuvants are used in clinical practice to enhance the immune response and host defense ability; however, synthetic drugs can exert negative side effects. Thus, the search for natural products of plant origin as new leads for the development of potent and safe immune boosters is gaining considerable research interest. Plant-based functional foods have been shown to exert several immunomodulatory effects in humans; therefore, the application of new agents to enhance immunological and specific host defenses is a promising approach. In this comprehensive review, we have provided an up-to-date report on the use as well as the known and potential mechanisms of bioactive compounds obtained from plant-based functional foods as natural immune boosters. Plant-based bioactive compounds promote immunity through multiple mechanisms, including influencing the immune organs, cellular immunity, humoral immunity, nonspecific immunity, and immune-related signal transduction pathways. Enhancement of the immune response in a natural manner represents an excellent prospect for disease prevention and treatment and is worthy of further research and development using approaches of modern science and technology.
Highlights
The immune system is one of the most complex biological systems in the body
The results indicate that total saponins of C. pilosula (TSCP) can enhance the phagocytic activity of mononuclear macrophages and promote the production of antibodies to restore them to the normal level in immunosuppressed mice
Magnoflorine has been isolated from Magnolia officinalis Rehd. et Wils and shown to activate the nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) and phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase-protein kinase B (PI3K-Akt) signaling pathways by promoting the expression of myeloid differentiation primary response gene 88 (MyD88) and TLR4 to enhance the immune function of macrophages stimulated by LPS
Summary
The immune system is one of the most complex biological systems in the body. It is a multifaceted and sophisticated network of specialized organs, cells, proteins, and chemicals, and plays an essential role in conferring protection against various pathogens (such as bacteria, viruses, and fungi), and cancer cells (Carr and Maggini, 2017). Chen et al studied the immune enhancement effects of MLP in vitro and demonstrated that, at concentrations of 125 and 250 μg/ml MLP, spleen B and T lymphocyte proliferation was promoted compared with control treatments (p < 0.05).
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