Evaluation of Immunomodulatory Activity of an Extract of Andrographolides from Andographis paniculata

Abstract

The immunomodulatory activity of HN-02, an extract containing a mixture of andrographolides (i.e., andrographolide [88 ± 5 %] plus 14-deoxyandrographolide and 14-deoxy-11,12-didehydroandrographolide together [12 ± 3 %]) in a pure powder form was evaluated at 1.0, 1.5, and 2.5 mg/kg on different in vivo and in vitro experimental models. In a delayed-type hypersensitivity (DTH) mouse model, potentiation of the DTH reaction was observed after treatment with cyclophosphamide (CYP) and HN-02 individually. However, CYP potentiation of the DTH reaction was reversed by HN-02 pretreatment. Furthermore, HN-02 treatment elevated the depressed hemagglutination antibody (HA) titer and increased the number of plaque-forming cells (PFCs) in the spleen cells of mice that had been treated with CYP and challenged with sheep red blood cells (SRBC). Further, it was also found that HN-02 treatment stimulated phagocytosis in mice. A significant increase in total WBC count and relative weight of spleen and thymus was observed in mice during 30 days of treatment with HN-02. The present experimental findings demonstrate that HN-02 has the ability to enhance immune function, possibly through modulation of immune responses altered during antigen interaction, and to reverse the immunosuppression induced by CYP.

Key words

Andrographis paniculata (Acanthaceae) - andrographolides - delayed‐type hypersensitivity - hemagglutination antibody titer - plaque‐forming cells - phagocytosis

References

• 1 Lee G I, Young H A, Rakmin J, Nakagawa H, Tsurufuji S, Chang I M, Kim Y. Inhibitory effects of oriental herbal medicines on IL‐8 induction in lipopolysaccharide-activated rat macrophages.  Planta Med. 1995;  61 26-30
• 2 Siripong P, Kongkathik B, Preechanukool K, Picha P, Tunsuwan K, Taylor W C. Cytotoxic diterpenoid constituents from Andrographis paniculata, Nees leaves.  J Sci Soc Thialand. 1992;  18 187-194
• 3 Sandberg F. Andrographidis herba Chuanxinlian: A review. Gothenburg; Swedish Herbal Institute, Available from the American Botanical Council (USA) 1994
• 4 Matsuda T, Kuroyanagi M, Sugiyama S, Umehara K, Ueno A, Nishi K. Cell differentiation inducing diterpenes from Andrographis paniculata Nees.  Chem Pharm Bull Tokyo. 1994;  42 1216-1225
• 5 Weibo L. Prospect for study on treatment of AIDS with traditional Chinese medicine.  J Tradit Chin Med. 1995;  15 3-9
• 6 Zhang X F, Tan B K. Antihyperglycaemic and antioxidant properties of Andrographis paniculata in normal and diabetic rats.  Clin Exp Pharmacol Physiol. 2000;  27 358-363
• 7 Shen Y C, Chen C F, Chiou W F. Andrographolide prevents oxygen radical production by human neutrophils: possible mechanism(s) involved in its anti-inflammatory effect.  Brit J Pharmacol. 2002;  135 399-406
• 8 See D, Mason S, Roshan R. Increased tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) and natural killer cell (N.K.) function using an integrative approach in late stage cancer.  Immunol Invest. 2002;  31 137-153
• 9 Khandelwal K R. Practical pharmacology techniques and experiments. Pune; Nirali Prakashan 2005: 141-164
• 10 Nanthanit P, Nuchanart R, Sanit T, Somsak R, Mathuros R. Jutamaads determination and variation of three active diterpenoid in Andrographis paniculata (Burm. t) Nees.  Phytochem Anal. 2004;  15 365-371
• 11 Liew F Y. Regulation of delayed type of hypersensitivity – 1, T-suppressor cells of delayed type of hypersensitivity to erythrocytes in mice.  Eur J Immunol. 1977;  7 714-717
• 12 Agarwal R, Diwanay S, Patki P, Patwardhan B. Studies of immunomodulatory activity of Withania somnifera extracts in experimental immune inflammation.  J Ethnopharmacol. 1999;  67 27-35
• 13 Nelson D S, Midenhall P. Studies on cytophilic antibodies: the production by mice of macrophage cytophilic antibodies to sheep erythrocytes: relationship to the production of other antibodies and development of delayed type hypersensivity.  Aust J Exp Biol Med Sci. 1967;  45 113-130
• 14 Jerne N K, Nordin A A. Plaque formation in agar by single antibody producing cells.  Science. 1963;  140 405-406
• 15 Biozzi G, Benecerraf B, Halpern B N. Quantitative study of the granulopectic activity of the reticulo-endothelial system. II. A study of the kinetics of the R. E. S. in relation to the dose of carbon injected; relationship between the weight of the organs and their activity.  Brit J Exp Pathol. 1953;  34 441-457
• 16 Tiwari U, Rastogi B, Singh P, Saraf D, Vyas S P. Immunomodulatory effects of aqueous extract of Tridox procumbens in experimental animals.  J Ethnopharmacol. 2004;  92 113-119
• 17 Davis L, Kuttan G. Immunomodulatory activity of Withania somnifera.  J Ethnopharmacol. 2000;  71 193-200
• 18 Benaceraf B. A hypothesis to relate the specificity of T lymphocytes and the activity of I region specific Ir genes in macrophages and B-lymphocytes.  J Immunol. 1978;  120 1809-1812
• 19 Kuby J. Immunology, 2nd edition. New York; W. H. Freeman and Company 1994: 23-45