Ipomoea obscura (L.) enhances the functions of immunological effector cells, inhibits proinflammatory cytokines and nitric oxide production by LPS induced macrophages

Abstract

Most of the synthetic chemotherapeutic agents available today are immunosuppressant, cytotoxic and exerts variety of side effects. Botanical based immunomodulators are often employed as supportive or adjuvant therapy to overcome the undesired effects of cytotoxic chemotherapeutic agents and to restore normal health. The methanolic extract of traditionally important medicinal plant Ipomoea obscura exhibited immunomodulatory activity in BALB/c mice. Intraperitoneal administration of five doses of the extract (10 mg/kg body wt) was found to enhance the total WBC count (13912cells/mm³) on the 12^th day, bone marrow cellularity (28.9 × 10⁶cells/femur) and number of α-esterase positive cells (1246 cells/4000 cells). Treatment with the extract along with the antigen, sheep red blood cells (SRBC), produced an enhancement in the circulating antibody titer and the number of plaque forming cells (PFC) in the spleen. Maximum number of PFC (267.6 PFC/10⁶ spleen cells) was obtained on the 6^th day. At the same time administration of Ipomoea obscura extract significantly reduced the elevated levels of proinflammatory cytokines and nitric oxide production by lipopolysaccharide stimulated macrophages. These results indicate the immunomodulatory activity of the alcoholic extract of Ipomoea obscura.

Keywords::

• Ipomoea obscura
• α-esterase
• antibody titer
• plaque forming cells
• proinflammatory cytokines

Acknowledgment

The authors sincerely thank Ramadasan Kuttan, Research Director, Amala Cancer Research Centre, for his valuable suggestions.

Declaration of interest: The authors report no conflicts of interest.