Open AccessImmunomodulatory potential of shatavarins produced from Asparagus racemosus tissue cultures
Author(s) -
Mashitha Pise,
J. Rudra,
Avinash Upadhyay
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
journal of natural science, biology and medicine
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.236
H-Index - 30
eISSN - 2229-7707
pISSN - 0976-9668
DOI - 10.4103/0976-9668.160025
Subject(s) - asparagus racemosus , in vitro , biology , immune system , in vivo , cytokine , asparagus , pharmacology , stimulation , traditional medicine , microbiology and biotechnology , immunology , biochemistry , botany , medicine , medicinal plants , endocrinology
Medicinal properties of Asparagus racemosus (vernacular name: Shatavari) are attributed to its steroidal saponins called shatavarins. This plant is facing the threat of being endangered due to several developmental, seasonal constrains and malpractices involved in its collection and storage. To support its conservation, a tissue culture protocol is standardized which produces 20 fold higher levels of shatavarin. Here we evaluate the bioactivity and immunomodulatory potential of in vitro produced shatavarins from cell cultures of AR using human peripheral blood lymphocytes. In vitro produced shatavarin stimulated immune cell proliferation and IgG secretion in a dose dependent manner. It stimulated interleukin (IL)-12 production and inhibited production of IL-6. It also had strong modulatory effects on Th1/Th2 cytokine profile, indicating its potential application for immunotherapies where Th1/Th2 balance is envisaged. Our study demonstrating the bioactivity of tissue cultured AR extracts supports further in vivo evaluation of its immunomodulatory efficacy.