Clinical Pharmacology & Biopharmaceutics
Open Access

Abstract

Context: Millettia aboensis (Hook. F.) Baker (Fabaceae) is popular in ethno-medicine due to its acclaimed efficacy in a number of disease conditions. Objective: To evaluate the immunomodulatory effect of the leaf extract of . Materials and method: Humoral and cellular immune responses of albino mice to tetanus toxoid and cyclophosphamide, respectively, were used to monitor immunomodulatory activities of the ethanol leaf extract and fractions of M. aboensis at 200, 300 and 400 mg/kg. Most active fraction was subjected to chromatographic purification and isolation of active compounds. Stimulation of specific T-lymphocytes was used to evaluate immune enhancing activity of the isolated compounds. Results: The extract and fractions evoked increase in both humoral and cellular immunity. At 400 mg/kg, normalized mean secondary IgG1 and IgG2a antibodies response of the butanol fraction were 9.0 and 7.7 respectively compared to 13.2 and 16.5 produced by Noni capsule�®. Findings from the nature of cytokine up-regulation by butanol fraction following secondary challenge with tetanus toxoid revealed that IL-12, IL-17A, IFN-�³ and IL-4 were expressed by 48.14, 41.37, 38.22, and 31.03%, respectively. Structural elucidation of the active compounds revealed presence of isomeric mixtures of quercetin-3-O-rutinoside and quercetin-3-O-robinobioside. This compound mixture exhibited in vitro up-regulation of specific CD4+ lymphocytes that were largely interferon gamma (IFN�³) releasing. Up to 43.7% stimulatory effect of IFN�³ was produced at 6.25 �µg/mL compared to the baseline effect in DMSO control group. Discussion and conclusion: M. aboensis expressed strong immune-enhancing properties, which may explain its ethnopharmacological use in disease management.

Biography