Immunomodulatory properties of Alternanthera tenella Colla aqueous extracts in mice

Abstract

Plants from the genus Alternanthera are thought to possess antimicrobial and antiviral properties. In Brazilian folk medicine, the aqueous extract of A. tenella Colla is used for its anti-inflammatory activity. The present study investigated the immunomodulatory property of A. tenella extract by evaluating the antibody production in male albino Swiss mice weighing 20-25 g (10 per group). The animals received standard laboratory diet and water ad libitum. The effect of A. tenella extract (5 and 50 mg/kg, ip) was evaluated in mice immunized with sheep red blood cells (SRBC 10%, ip) as T-dependent antigen, or in mice stimulated with mitogens (10 µg, Escherichia coli lipopolysaccharide, LPS, ip). The same doses (5 and 50 mg/kg, ip) of A. tenella extract were also tested for antitumor activity, using the Ehrlich ascites carcinoma as model. The results showed that 50 mg/kg A. tenella extract ip significantly enhanced IgM (64%) and IgG2a (50%) antibody production in mice treated with LPS mitogen. The same dose had no effect on IgM-specific response, whereas the 5 mg/kg treatment caused a statiscally significant reduction of anti-SRBC IgM-specific antibodies (82%). The aqueous extract of A. tenella (50 mg/kg) increased the life span (from 16 ± 1 to 25 ± 1 days) and decreased the number of viable tumor cells (59%) in mice with Ehrlich ascites carcinoma. The present findings are significant for the development of alternative, inexpensive and perhaps even safer strategies for cancer treatment.

Pigment production and growth of Alternanthera plants cultured in vitro in the presence of tyrosine

“…A. tenella has been used to treat the infections, fevers, bruises and itches and also has diuretic and anti-inflammatory properties (Vendruscolo and Mentz 2006). Studies with the water extract of joy weed demonstrated immunomodulatory and antitumor activities on the rats (Moraes et al 1994;Guerra et al 2003) and in vitro antibiotic activity against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria (Silveira and Olea 2009). The major A. tenella components that have been studied are tannins, saponins, flavonoid glycosides and heterosides, such as isorhamnetin, quercetin and kaempferol (Biella et al 2008), as well as other flavonoids, including vitexin and acacetin (Salvador et al 2006).…”

Experimental immunology Modulation of murine macrophages phagocytic activity by polysaccharide extract from Chenopodium bonus-henricus

“…Another study indicated that water-soluble components from Alternanthera tenella are able to modulate effectively the immunological interactions [13].…”

Caracterización de compuestos fenolicos presentes en el extracto etanolico de hojas de Alternanthera lanceolata (Benth.) Schinz, Lancetilla

“…Schinz, pertenece a la familia Amaranthaceae también es conocida por que varios de sus géneros contienen fenoles, esteroides, flavonoides, alcaloides y sesquiterpenlactonas, (4) por lo que a otras especies pertenecientes a esta familia se les han reconocido capacidades analgésicas (5) , antioxidantes (6) , immunomoduladoras (7) y antimalaricas (8) .…”