Journal of Nutritional Science and Vitaminology
Online ISSN : 1881-7742
Print ISSN : 0301-4800
ISSN-L : 0301-4800
Dietary Curcuma xanthorrhiza Roxb. Increases Mitogenic Responses of Splenic Lymphocytes in Rats, and Alters Populations of the Lymphocytes in Mice
Sedarnawati YASHIKiyotaka YOSHIIEHiroshi ODAMichihiro SUGANOKatsumi IMAIZUMI
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1993 Volume 39 Issue 4 Pages 345-354

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Abstract

Rhizomes of Curcuma xanthorrhiza Roxb. (C. xanthor-rhiza), a medicinal plant in Indonesia, has been shown to exert diverse physiological functions. Hitherto, a little attention has been paid to its effect on immune functions. This study was carried out to determine the effect of this medicinal plant on mitogenic response of splenic lymphocytes in rats and population of splenic lymphocytes and macrophages and peripheral blood macrophages in mice. Mitogenic responses of spleno-cytes to phytohemagglutinin, concanavalin A, and pokeweed mitogens were examined in rat fed C. xanthorrhiza for 3 weeks. The medicinal plant increased the blastogenesis to these mitogens. Flow cytometric analysis was carried out for mice fed the medicinal plant for 3 to 5 weeks. C. xanthorrhiza increased the proportion of the splenic T cells throughout the experimental period, but exerted a variable effect on B cells and T cell subsets, that is, elevations of B cells at 3 weeks and of Th cells at 4 weeks without any elevation of Ts cells. The effect of this medicinal plant on a proportion of macrophages from the spleen and peripheral blood was not consistent. Thus, the present study suggests that C. xanthorrhiza contains some principle(s) activating T and B cell-mediated immune functions.

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