Effect of Plant Water Extract Mixture (Ixeris sonchifolia Hance(Ish), Oenanthe javanica(Oj), Fagopyrum esculentum Moench(Fem), Hizikia fusiforme(Hf) and Zingiber officinale Roscoe(Zor)) on Mouse and the Modulation of Immune Cell Activation

Plant has long been used for food source in Korea. Ixeris sonchifolia Hance, Oenanthe javanica, Fagopyrum esculentum Moench, Hizikia fusiforme and Zingiber officinale Roscoe have long been used for food sources in this country. We previously reported that ex vivo supplementation of each Ish, Oj, Fem, Hf, or Zor water extract enhanced the splenocytes proliferation in mice. This study, the combined immunomodulative effect of plant water extract mixture of these five food sources(Ish+Oj+Fem+Hf+Zor) was compared to the individual effect of these plant sources. Six to seven weeks old mice(balb/c) was fed ad libitum on chow diet and water extract of plant mixture was orally administrated every other day for four weeks at two different concentrations(50 and 500 mg/kg b.w). After 48hrs of incubation with the mitogen(ConA or LPS) stimulation, the mice splenocyte proliferation in experimental group was statistically increased at two different concentrations than that of control group. And the cytokine production capacity by activated macrophages was also increased at 50mg/kg b.w supplemented groups. The result of this study may suggest that the supplementation of water extract of plant mixture could regulate the immune function by increasing the splenocyte proliferation and the cytokine production capacity by activated macrophages is under investigation. in mice.