Immunomodulatory Effects of Three Species of Baccharis on Human Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells

Abstract

Baccharis species of the Asteraceae family are widely distributed in South America and are popularly known as "carqueja" or "jaguarete ka'a". The aerial parts of these plants are used in folk medicine not only to treat gastrointestinal and liver diseases, but also inflammatory processes. 1,2 Extracts and compounds with activity on the immune system, or immunomodulators, are of great interest due to the therapeutic potential, mainly in pathologies that involve inflammation. The genus Baccharis has demonstrated diverse biological activities, including immunomodulatory activity. 3 Among the species with reported antiinflammatory activity, B. dracunculifolia and B. trimera are the most studied. [3][4][5] However, most of these studies were performed in murine models. [6][7][8] For this reason, we evaluated the effects of three different species of the Baccharis genus (B. trimera, B. punctulata, B. notosergila) on human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). Cells were evaluated for phytohemagglutinin (PHA)-induced proliferation and the production of a relevant cytokine, interferon gamma (IFN-γ), by these cells. This study reveals new properties of methanolic extracts of B. trimera, B. punctulata and B. notosergila in an in vitro model of human inflammatory response.