title: Immunomodulatory activity of methanolic extracts of fruits and bark of Ficus glomerata Roxb. in mice and on human neutrophils.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the immunomodulatory activity of methanolic extracts of fruit and bark of Ficus glomerata Roxb. on cyclophosphamide-induced myelosuppression in mice and the phagocytic effect on human neutrophils.
  
  
  METHODS
  Methanolic extracts of fruits and bark of Ficus glomerata Roxb. at two dose levels of 250 and 500 mg/kg p.o. were administered for 13 days to albino mice and cyclophosphamide (30 mg/kg i.p.) was administered on 11th, 12th, and 13th days, 1 hour after the administration of the respective treatment. On 14th day blood was collected and the hematological parameters were evaluated. The two extracts in the concentration range 100, 50, 25, 12 and 6.25 μg were also tested for phagocytic effect on human neutrophils using the in vitro models-nitroblue tetrazolium (NBT) dye test, phagocytosis of Candida albicans, and chemotaxis assay.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Methanolic extracts of fruit and bark of Ficus glomerata Roxb. showed significant counteracting effect (P < 0.01) to cyclophosphamide-induced reduction in total WBC, differential leucocyte count, platelet counts, RBC counts, and hemoglobin levels. The extracts of the plant in the concentration range 100, 50, 25, 12, and 6.25 μg also showed significant (P < 0.01) phagocytic effect on human neutrophils in the parameters studied.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Methanolic extracts of fruits and bark of Ficus glomerata Roxb. exhibited immunomodulatory property in both in vivo and in vitro models.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacognosy and Phytochemistry, HKES's MTR Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Gulbarga, Karnataka, India.
authors.forename: Sanjeev
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Heroor
authors.forename: Arun Kumar
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Beknal
authors.forename: Nitin
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Mahurkar
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002633:Chemotaxis; D003520:Cyclophosphamide / Q000633:toxicity; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005260:Female; D030681:Ficus / Q000737:chemistry*; D005638:Fruit / Q000737:chemistry; D006801:Humans; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents / Q000633:toxicity; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D009504:Neutrophils / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000276:immunology; D010587:Phagocytosis / Q000187:drug effects; D024301:Plant Bark / Q000737:chemistry; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents; D010936:Plant Extracts; D003520:Cyclophosphamide
keywords: Candida albicans; Cyclophosphamide; Ficus glomerata Roxb; chemotaxis; immunomodulatory; nitroblue tetrazolium