title: Immunostimulatory activities of polysaccharide extract isolated from Curcuma longa.
abstract: Several curcuminoids and sesquiterpenoids isolated from Curcuma longa (CL) have been shown to have many pharmacological activities. In the present study, the immunomodulatory activities of the polar fractions of CL hot water extracts were investigated using human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC). Our results showed that the high polarity fraction of the hot water extract exhibited stimulatory effects on PBMC proliferation as shown in [methyl-(3)H]-thymidine incorporation assay. In an attempt to isolate the active components responsible for the activities, further partition with ethyl acetate, n-butanol and ethanol, progressively were performed. The cytokine productions (TGF-beta, TNF-alpha, GM-CSF, IL-1alpha, IL-5, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, IL-13, etc.) have been modulated by a polysaccharide-enriched fraction as shown in ELISA and cytokine protein array. The proportion of CD14 positive stained PBMC was increased by such fraction. The composition of monosaccharide of the active fraction has been determined by GC-MS and gel permeation chromatography. The immunostimulatory effects of C. longa polysaccharides on PBMC were shown for the first time. The findings revealed the potential use of C. longa crude extract (containing curcuminoids and polysaccharides) as an adjuvant supplement for cancer patients, whose immune activities were suppressed during chemotherapies.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Chinese Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, N.T., Hong Kong.
authors.forename: Grace G L
authors.initials: GG
authors.lastname: Yue
authors.forename: Ben C L
authors.initials: BC
authors.lastname: Chan
authors.forename: Po-Ming
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Hon
authors.forename: Edward J
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Kennelly
authors.forename: Simon K
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Yeung
authors.forename: Barrie R
authors.initials: BR
authors.lastname: Cassileth
authors.forename: Kwok-Pui
authors.initials: KP
authors.lastname: Fung
authors.forename: Ping-Chung
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: Leung
authors.forename: Clara B S
authors.initials: CB
authors.lastname: Lau
mesh_terms: D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000494:pharmacology*; D015703:Antigens, CD / Q000378:metabolism; D001681:Biological Assay; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects; D002850:Chromatography, Gel; D030024:Curcuma / Q000737:chemistry*; D016207:Cytokines / Q000096:biosynthesis; D008401:Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D011134:Polysaccharides / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology* / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D016176:T-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic; D015703:Antigens, CD; D016207:Cytokines; D011134:Polysaccharides