| RESEARCH PAPER |
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| Year : 2006 | Volume
: 38
| Issue : 5 | Page : 336-340 |
Stimulation of immune function activity by the alcoholic root extract of Heracleum nepalense D. Don
S Dash1, LK Nath1, S Bhise2, P Kar1, S Bhattacharya3
1 Himalayan Pharmacy Institute, Majhitar, Rangpo, East Sikkim-737132, India
2 2Govt. College of Pharmacy, Vidyanagar, Karad, Satara-415124, India
3 Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Birla Institute of Technology, Mesra, Ranchi, India
Correspondence Address:
S Dash
Himalayan Pharmacy Institute, Majhitar, Rangpo, East Sikkim-737132
India
 Source of Support: None, Conflict of Interest: None  | Check |
DOI: 10.4103/0253-7613.27701
Objective: To assess the immunostimulatory activity of H. nepalense, using different in vitro and in vivo experimental models.
Materials and Methods: The immunostimulatory potential of the test compound was investigated by in vitro , phagocytic index and lymphocyte viability tests, using interferon a-2b, a known immunostimulant drug, as the standard. Other tests such as carbon clearance, antibody titer and delayed type hypersensitivity were studied in mice, using levimasole as the standard.
Results: The dried root extract (1000 µg/ml) and isolated quercetin glycoside (50 µg/ml) significantly increased the i n vitro phagocytic index and lymphocyte viability in all assays. They also showed a significant increase in antibody titer, carbon clearance and delayed type hypersensitivity in mice.
Conclusion: H. nepalense exhibited a dose-dependent immunostimulant effect, which could be attributed to the flavonoid content or due to the combination with other component(s).
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