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Planta Med 2011; 77(8): 817-824
DOI: 10.1055/s-0030-1250574
Biological and Pharmacological Activity
Original Papers
© Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York

The Known Immunologically Active Components of Astragalus Account for Only a Small Proportion of the Immunological Adjuvant Activity When Combined with Conjugate Vaccines

Feng Hong1 , Weilie Xiao2 , Govind Ragupathi3 , Clara B. S. Lau4 , Ping Chung Leung4 , K. Simon Yeung5 , Constantine George1 , Barrie Cassileth5 , Edward Kennelly2 , Philip O. Livingston3
  • 1Department of Medicine, Laboratory of Tumor Vaccinology, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York, United States
  • 2Department of Biological Sciences, Lehman College and The Graduate Center, City University of New York, Bronx, New York, United States
  • 3Department of Medicine, Melanoma Sarcoma Service, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York, United States
  • 4Institute of Chinese Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong
  • 5Department of Medicine, Integrative Medicine Service, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York, United States
Further Information

Publication History

received July 2, 2010 revised October 20, 2010

accepted October 28, 2010

Publication Date:
02 December 2010 (online)

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Abstract

The 95 % ethanol extract of Astragalus has been demonstrated to have potent activity as an immunological adjuvant when administered with vaccines of various types. We endeavor here to identify the components of this extract that are responsible for this adjuvant activity. Mice were immunized with KLH conjugated to cancer carbohydrate antigens globo H and GD3 and cancer peptide antigen MUC1 combined with different Astragalus fractions or with commercially available Astragalus saponins and flavonoids. The antibody responses against cancer antigens and KLH were quantitated in ELISA assays, and toxicity was calculated by weight loss. Astragalosides II and IV were the most active components, but the toxicity of these two differed dramatically. Astragaloside II was the most toxic Astragalus component with 5–10 % weight loss at a dose of 500 µg while astragaloside IV showed no weight loss at all at this dose, suggesting that astragaloside IV might be utilized as an immunological adjuvant in future studies. Several flavonoids also had significant adjuvant activity. However, when the activities of these known immunologically active components of Astragalus (and of endotoxin) are calculated based on the extent of their presence in the 95 % ethanol extract, they provide only a small proportion of the immunological activity. This raises the possibility that additional uniquely active components of Astragalus may contribute to adjuvant activity, or that the adjuvant activity of Astragalus is greater than the activity of the sum of its parts.

Key words

Astragalus membranaceus - Leguminosae - botanicals - conjugate vaccine - cancer vaccine - astragalosides - saponin

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Philip O. Livingston, MD

Melanoma and Sarcoma Service
Department of Medicine
Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center

1275 York Avenue

New York, NY 10065

USA

Phone: +16 4 68 88 23 76

Fax: +16 4 64 22 04 53

Email: livingsp@mskcc.org