The Zanthoxylum schinifolium seed oil modulates immune function under the biological safety level

Abstract

Zanthoxylum schinifolium (Z. schinifolium) and the seed oil of Z. schinifolium has been widely used as culinary applications and traditional medicine for epigastric pain in Korea, China, and several Asia nations and the components or extracts of Z. schinifolium have been reported to have pharmaceutical effects such as anti-platelet aggregation, inhibitory activities against monoamine oxidase, antioxidant and anticancer activities, and anti-inflammatory activity. In this study we got the results that 200 mg/kg/day seed oil of Z. schinifolium oral administration for 13 weeks enhances most immune-related cells and is biologically safe. However as B cell population was increased by Z. schinifolium seed oil administration but B cell function was not changed by that, ultimately we deduced that Z. schinifolium seed oil doesn’t have the modulation effect about B cell. To evaluate the biological safety of repeated Z. schinifolium seed oil administration the index of biological safety such as CBC, hematological enzymes, and especially histopathological morphologies was measured but no changes related with Z. schinifolium seed oil administration had been shown. Conclusively Z. schinifolium seed oil is one of the safe candidates to modulate immunity.