title: Immunological studies of Revitonil, a phytopharmaceutical containing Echinacea purpurea and Glycyrrhiza glabra root extract.
abstract: A phytopharmaceutical containing an extract of Echinacea purpurea and Glycyrrhiza glabra root (Revitonil tablets) was investigated for its suggested immunostimulating potential, using several in vitro tests and the in vivo carbon-clearance model in mice. In the in vitro phagocytosis test with human granulocytes, Revitonil showed a 44-53% stimulating effect at a concentration of 100 microg/ml. Whereas in the chemoluminescence test at a concentration of 1.25 microg/ml, Revitonil tablets exhibited a moderate enhancing effect only, a remarkable stimulating activity (30-50%) was observed in the T-lymphocyte CD69 bioassay at a concentration of 100 microg-1 microg/ml. The highest immunological efficacy could be assigned to Revitonil as revealed by the in vivo carbon-clearance model in mice. With RCt/RCc-values of 2.0, Revitonil exhibited a very high carbon elimination rate at oral administration. Because the Echinacea and Glycyrrhiza monoextracts alone showed lower RCt/RCc-values (1.3-1.7) than Revitonil, a potentiating synergistic effect of the extract mixture in Revitonil can be postulated.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacy, Center of Pharma Research, Institut of Pharmaceutical Biology, University of Munich, Germany. H.Wagner@cup.uni-muenchen.de
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Wagner
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Jurcic
mesh_terms: D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D020900:Echinacea / Q000737:chemistry*; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D006035:Glycyrrhiza / Q000737:chemistry*; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000276:immunology; D010587:Phagocytosis / Q000187:drug effects; D008517:Phytotherapy; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology*; D013607:Tablets / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D010936:Plant Extracts; D013607:Tablets