Immunomodulatory activity of Zingiber officinale Roscoe, Salvia officinalis L. and Syzygium aromaticum L. essential oils: evidence for humor- and cell-mediated responses.
OBJECTIVE
The immunomodulatory effect of ginger, Zingiber officinale (Zingiberaceae), sage, Salvia officinalis (Lamiaceae) and clove, Syzygium aromaticum (Myrtaceae), essential oils were evaluated by studying humor- and cell-mediated immune responses.


METHODS
Essential oils were administered to mice (once a day, orally, for a week) previously immunized with sheep red blood cells (SRBCs).


RESULTS
Clove essential oil increased the total white blood cell (WBC) count and enhanced the delayed-type hypersensitivity (DTH) response in mice. Moreover, it restored cellular and humoral immune responses in cyclophosphamide-immunosuppressed mice in a dose-dependent manner. Ginger essential oil recovered the humoral immune response in immunosuppressed mice. Contrary to the ginger essential oil response, sage essential oil did not show any immunomodulatory activity.


CONCLUSIONS
Our findings establish that the immunostimulatory activity found in mice treated with clove essential oil is due to improvement in humor- and cell-mediated immune response mechanisms.
Carrasco
Fábio Ricardo
FR
Laboratory of Inflammation, Department of Pharmacy and Pharmacology, State University of Maringá, Maringá, Paraná, Brazil.
Schmidt
Gustavo
G
Romero
Adriano Lopez
AL
Sartoretto
Juliano Luiz
JL
Caparroz-Assef
Silvana Martins
SM
Bersani-Amado
Ciomar Aparecida
CA
Cuman
Roberto Kenji Nakamura
RK
D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000818:Animals; D000917:Antibody Formation / Q000187:drug effects; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D020939:Zingiber officinale; D006968:Hypersensitivity, Delayed / Q000276:immunology; D007111:Immunity, Cellular / Q000187:drug effects; D007958:Leukocyte Count; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D009822:Oils, Volatile / Q000494:pharmacology*; D010938:Plant Oils / Q000494:pharmacology*; D027543:Salvia officinalis; D012756:Sheep; D027842:Syzygium
D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic; D009822:Oils, Volatile; D010938:Plant Oils