The effect of natural ingredients extracts on the phagocytosis index of the carbon clearance animal models

Abstract

The immune system has a very important role to fight foreign substances in the body. Immunostimulants are needed to stimulate the activity of the immune system and immunosuppressants are needed to suppress the immune system. The aims of this study is to evaluate phagocitytosis index of several natural ingredient extract using carbon clearance method. The natural ingredients are the ethanol extract of Ageratum conyzoides leaves 160 mg/kgBW, ethanol extract of Artocarpus heterophyllus leaves 500 mg/kgBW, ethanol extract of Nephelium lappaceum peel 650 mg/kgBW, ethanol extract of Cucurbita moschata seed 342 mg/kgBW and ethanol extract of Citrullus lanatus rind 55 mg/kgBW. Tests were carried out on male mice Balb/C strains using the carbon clearance method, where colloidal carbon ink acts as an antigen. The phagocytic activity of macrophages in eliminating carbon ink was measured based on the stimulation index value and then the immunomodulatory effect was classified according to Wagner's criteria. The stimulation index of A.heterophyllus was 1.423; A. conyzoides was 1.201; N. lappaceum was 1.236; C.lanatus was 0.909 and C. moschata was 1.299. The potential extract as immunostimulant was A.heterophyllus, as immunosupressant was C. lanatus. A.conyzoides and probably had no effect (act as imunorestorant) and C. moschata 342 mg/kgBW had slight immunostimulant effect.