A mixture of Panax ginseng and Scrophularia buergeriana improves immune function in an immunosuppressed murine model

Na-Ra Han; Kyeoung-Cheol Kim; Ju-Sung Kim; Seong-Gyu Ko; Hi-Joon Park; Phil-Dong Moon

doi:10.1016/j.phymed.2022.153984

A mixture of Panax ginseng and Scrophularia buergeriana improves immune function in an immunosuppressed murine model

Phytomedicine. 2022 May:99:153984. doi: 10.1016/j.phymed.2022.153984. Epub 2022 Feb 12.

Authors

Na-Ra Han¹, Kyeoung-Cheol Kim², Ju-Sung Kim², Seong-Gyu Ko³, Hi-Joon Park⁴, Phil-Dong Moon⁵

Affiliations

¹ College of Korean Medicine, Kyung Hee University, Seoul, South Korea; Korean Medicine-Based Drug Repositioning Cancer Research Center, College of Korean Medicine, Kyung Hee University, Seoul, South Korea.
² Majors in Plant Resource and Environment, College of Agriculture & Life Sciences, SARI, Jeju National University, Jeju 63243, South Korea.
³ Korean Medicine-Based Drug Repositioning Cancer Research Center, College of Korean Medicine, Kyung Hee University, Seoul, South Korea; Department of Preventive Medicine, College of Korean Medicine, Kyung Hee University, Seoul, South Korea.
⁴ Department of Anatomy & Information Sciences, College of Korean Medicine, Kyung Hee University, Seoul, South Korea.
⁵ Center for Converging Humanities, Kyung Hee University, Seoul, South Korea. Electronic address: pdmoon@khu.ac.kr.

PMID: 35189478
DOI: 10.1016/j.phymed.2022.153984

Abstract

Background: Immunomodulatory drugs are currently used for immunosuppressed individuals, but adverse side effects have been reported. Although Panax ginseng and Scrophularia buergeriana are known to have respective pharmacological properties, the potential of a mixture of Panax ginseng and Scrophularia buergeriana (Isam-Tang, IST) as an immunomodulatory drug has not yet been studied.

Purpose: The present study was designed to assess the immunomodulatory activity of IST and p-coumaric acid (pCA), an active compound of IST, in the immune system.

Methods: The levels of immunostimulatory cytokines, nitrite, inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), NF-kB activation, and proliferation were examined in RAW264.7 cells, primary splenocytes and splenic NK cells isolated from normal mouse spleen, and in cyclophosphamide-induced immunosuppressed mice using ELISA, quantitative real-time PCR, Western blotting, and immunofluorescence staining.

Results: IST or pCA treatment increased the production of immunostimulatory cytokines and nitrite and the expression of iNOS in RAW264.7 cells and splenocytes. IST or pCA also induced NF-κB signaling activation and promoted the phagocytic activity of RAW264.7 cells. In addition, the splenocyte proliferation and splenic NK activity were enhanced by IST or pCA. IST or pCA increased the levels of immunostimulatory cytokines in immunosuppressed mice and ameliorated splenic tissue damage.

Conclusion: These findings suggest that IST supplementation may be used to enhance immune function.

Keywords: Cyclophosphamide; Immunostimulatory cytokines; Immunosuppression; Isam-Tang; NK activity; Phagocytosis.