Korean Ginseng Berry Polysaccharide Enhances Immunomodulation Activities of Peritoneal Macrophages in Mice with Cyclophosphamide-Induced Immunosuppression

• Published in: Journal of microbiology and biotechnology Vol. 33; no. 6; pp. 840 - 847
• Main Authors: Choi, JeongUn, Nam, Ju Hyun, Rod-In, Weerawan, Monmai, Chaiwat, Jang, A-Yeong, You, SangGuan, Park, Woo Jung
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Korea (South) The Korean Society for Microbiology and Biotechnology 28-06-2023
• Subjects: Animals; Cyclophosphamide - pharmacology; Fruit; Immunity; Immunomodulation; Immunosuppression Therapy; Macrophages, Peritoneal; Mice; Panax; Polysaccharides - metabolism; Polysaccharides - pharmacology; Research article; polysaccharides; macrophages; ginseng berry; Immune system
• ISSN: 1017-7825; 1738-8872
• DOI: 10.4014/jmb.2211.11056

Korean ginseng (
C. A. Meyer), a member of the Araliaceae family, is known as a traditional medicinal plant to have a wide range of health properties. Polysaccharides constitute a major component of Korean ginseng, and its berries exhibit immune-modulating properties. The purpose of this study was to investigate the immune effects of crude polysaccharide (GBPC) extracted from Korean ginseng berry on peritoneal macrophages in mice with cyclophosphamide (CY)- induced immunosuppression. BALB/c mice were divided into eight groups: normal control, normal control + CY, levamisole + CY, ginseng + CY, and four concentrations of 50, 100, 250, and 500mg/kg BW/day of GBPC + CY. Mice were orally administered with samples for 10 days. Immunosuppression was established by treating mice with CY (80 mg/kg BW/day) through intraperitoneal injection on days 4 to 6. The immune function of peritoneal macrophages was then evaluated. Oral administration of 500mg/kg BW/day GBPC resulted in proliferation, NO production, and phagocytosis at 100%, 88%, and 91%, respectively, close to the levels of the normal group (100%) of peritoneal macrophages. In CY-treated mice, GBPC of 50-500 mg/kg BW/day also dose-dependently stimulated the proliferation, NO production, and phagocytosis at 56-100%, 47-88%, and 53-91%, respectively, with expression levels of immune-associated genes, such as
,
,
,
, and
, of about 0.32 to 2.87-fold, compared to those in the CY group. GBPC could be a potential immunomodulatory material to control peritoneal macrophages under an immunosuppressive condition.