Immunomodulating Activity of Extract of Gentiana Algida Pall.

Abstract

Dry extract of Gentiana algida Pall. displayed immunomodulating activity in experiments on mouse line F1 (CBA × C57B1/6) with experimental azathioprine-induced immunosuppression of the cellular, humoral, and macrophage components of the immune response. It was found that the plant extract reduced the suppressive effect of the cytostatic azathioprine on the antibody response, cell-mediated immune reaction, and macrophage phagocytosis. This resulted in increases as compared with the suppressed levels of the absolute and relative amounts of antibody-forming cells, index of delayed-type hypersensitivity, phagocytic index, and phagocyte number. Dry extract of G. algida was characterized chemically by high contents of iridoids (82.07 mg/g), flavonoids (86.91 mg/g), and triterpenes (23.98 mg/g), which caused the observed immunomodulating activity.