Ann Microbiol Immunol | Volume 2, Issue 1 | Research Article | Open Access
Hasson SS1*, Al Manthari AA1, Idris MA1, Al-Busaidi JZ1, Al-Balushi MS1, Aleemallah GM2, Rashan L3, Hakkim FL3 and Al-Jabri AA1
1Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Sultan Qaboos University, Oman
2Department of Primary Health Corporation, Hamad Medical Corporation, Qatar
3Department of Mathematics and Sciences, Dhofar University, Oman
*Correspondance to: Sidgi Hasson
Fulltext PDFBackground: Immunomodulatory agents initiate the activation of non-specific immune responses and work without antigenic specificity. They directly activate different cell populations of the immune system and modify the production of cytokines and initiate the production of various effect or molecules that take part in the modulation and enhancement of the immune response.
Objective: To investigate the immunomodulatory potential of combining four ethanolic extracts of Mentha, Cuminumcyminum, Nigella sativa L. and Foeniculum vulgare Mill. (MCNF) using healthy and immunocompromised animals.
Methods: Humoral and cell-mediated immunity of healthy and drug-induced myelosuppression Wistar Kyoto (WKY) rats were assessed using various standard immunological assays including T-cell population, delayed hypersensitivity, carbon clearance, haemagglutination titer, IL-4 levels and hematological parameters. These assays were used to evaluate the effect of MCNF extract at different doses of 200, 400 and 800 mg/Kg per animal. One-way ANOVA and Mann-Whitney tests were used to assess the differential statistical significance between the immunocompromised and treatment groups.
Results: The use of MCNF extract significantly increased delayed hypersensitivity responses when compared to immunocompromised rats and other control groups (p<0.01). The extract was found to increase the phagocytic index (p<0.01), White Blood Count (WBC) count (p<0.006), lymphocyte count (p<0.01) and percentage granulocytes (p<0.006) in parallel to a significant increase in the levels of serum immunoglobulins in a dose-dependent manner (p<0.001). The potential effect of MCNF extract was further confirmed by the significant increase in IL-4 levels (p<0.01). Moreover, the ethanolic MCNF extracts showed antagonistic capacity to zinc alpha-2-glycoprotein-1 that is usually secreted at high levels in immunocompromised animals.
Conclusion: Combination of the four ethanolic herbal extracts (MCNF) is a promising medicament with a potential therapeutic value in stimulating the suppressed or weakened immune responses in laboratory animals and may act as a potential immunomodulatory agent to enhance both cellular and humoral immunity. And for the first time we report that the antagonistic efficacy of these herbs on ZAG-1 may aid to enhance the immunity in those who are immunocompromised.
Immunomodulation; Cellular immunity; Humoral immunity; Haemagglutination titer; Zinc alpha-2-glycoprotien, Herbal; Rats
Hasson SS, Al Manthari AA, Idris MA, Al-Busaidi JZ, Al-Balushi MS, Aleemallah GM, et al. Immunomodulatory Potential of Combining Some Traditional Medicinal Plants In Vivo. Ann Microbiol Immunol. 2019; 2(1): 1014.