Immunomodulators: Role of medicinal plants in immune system

Abstract

A broad range of health-care practices is required to exploit the beneficial effects of Ayurveda, which is the most ancient system of medicines. Being the essence of Ayurvedic medicines, Indian medicinal plants manifest miraculous effects in curing a vast range of diseases and disorders among humans and can be better called as "elixirs of life." Currently, there is much growing interest in the use of these medicinal plants as modulators of the complex immune system. Through a number of vast researches conducted in the area, it is being explored that many of the chemicals in the form of alkaloids, flavonoids, terpenoids, polysaccharides, lactones, and glycoside products are responsible to cause alterations in the immunomodulatory properties. Keeping in mind, the tremendous potential of the medicinal plants and their derived drugs, I am introducing this review with a purpose to globally popularize the Indian herbal medicines as immunomodulators.

Ameliorative effect of Echinacea purpurea and curcumin on dexamethasone-induced immunosuppressive rabbits

“…Medicinal plants are extensively used nowadays in the treatment of many diseases (Elgazar et al, 2018;Choi et al, 2011;Selim et al, 2019). Medicinal herbal plants, such as Echinacea, curcumin, garlic, onion, ginger, and astragalus, are used as immunomodulators (Abu Khudir et al, 2019;El-Magd et al, 2017;Sharma et al, 2017). Echinacea purpurea is a medicinal herb that contains phytochemicals such as polysaccharides, flavonoids, caffeic acid derivatives (chicoric acid), essential oils, polyacetylenes, and alkyl amides, with a particular immunostimulatory effect for polysaccharides and chicoric acid (Manayi et al, 2015).…”

Review on Ayurvedic Plants as Immunomodulators

“…[8] List of common plants having immunomodulatory activity: Botanical Name Future prospects: From ancient times plant derived medicines and folklore medicines have been used for the drug design and development of therapeutic agents. [1,30] Herbal and traditional botanical products are good alternatives to conventional chemotherapy. [31] Presently researchers are fascinated towards plant derived therapeutics and the 406 research is based on investigation for some plant biochemical in the form of the single compound as lead molecule concerned with particular target linked with disease.…”

“…[31] Presently researchers are fascinated towards plant derived therapeutics and the 406 research is based on investigation for some plant biochemical in the form of the single compound as lead molecule concerned with particular target linked with disease. [1,30] Numerous plant derived compounds have been identified over the years which possess immunomodulatory characteristics but the systematic, proper and multidisciplinary approach is required for picking out active constituents from different medicinal plants and their different medicinal effects using modern techniques. [16,32] Two approaches can be followed for developing successful drugs from medicinal plants.…”

Potential plant immunomodulators: A phytotherapy perspective for COVID-19 infection

“…All the working cell of the immune system are arising from bone marrow by hematopoiesis with the help of stem cells which are also derived from bone marrow. (Sharma, Kumar et al 2017) A certain group of soluble extracellular proteins or glycoproteins named cytokines are the key mediator that plays an important role in the interaction between the specialized cells of the immune system. Cytokines work in the form of interleukins (ILs), interferons, and chemokines.…”