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  J. Med. Plants Res.

 

  Vol. 3 No. 6
 

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  articles by:
 

 Attard E

 Cuschieri A

 


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Journal of Medicinal Plants Research Vol. 3 (6), pp. 457–461, June 2009

ISSN 1996-0875 © 2009 Academic Journals  

   

Full Length Research Paper

 

 

  
 

In vitro immunomodulatory activity of various extracts of Maltese plants from the Asteraceae family

 

E. Attard1* and A. Cuschieri2

 

1Institute of Agriculture, University of Malta, Msida, MSD 2080, Malta.

2Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine and Surgery, University of Malta, Msida, MSD 2080, Malta.

 

*Corresponding author. E-mail: everaldo.attard@um.edu.mt. Tel.: +356 23402323. Fax: +356 21346519

 

Accepted 8 June 2009
 
     
 

Abstract

  
     
 

Various extracts of ten plants from the Asteraceae family were studied for their effects of on human peripheral T-lymphocytes in vitro.  Five solvent systems were used to extract constituents from these plants. Phytochemical identification of the most prevalent phytochemical classes was carried out, followed by screening for pharmacological activity using the Brine Shrimp Lethality test (BST). One BST-negative and five BST-positive extracts were tested on human lymphocytes. Marked effects were observed in treated lymphocytes with all six extracts. However only two extracts caused lymphocyte activation and pronounced blastogenesis similar to that of phytohaemagglutinin (PHA). The results obtained indicate that in particular the petroleum ether extract of Calendula arvensis is relatively non-toxic to peripheral lymphocytes suggesting its potential use as an immune booster.

 

Key words: Asteraceae, phytochemical analysis, lymphocyte activation, cell proliferation, cytotoxicity.

  

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