The immunomodulatory activity of ethanolic extracts from Galium verum L. herb

Abstract

The present article discusses the results of the research into the phytochemical profile and immunomodulatory activity of Galii veri herba (Galium verum L., Rubiaceae) ethanolic extracts. The extracts under study were obtained from the plant material by means of maceration technique with 20% aqueous ethanol solution (fluid extract I), 60% aqueous ethanol solution (fluid extract II) and 96% ethanol (fluid extract III) on heating. In the substances obtained, the content of hydroxycinnamic derivatives, flavonoids and polyphenols were determined spectrophotometrically; polysaccharides were quantified gravimetrically; the immunomodulatory activity of the substances under study was determined in the reaction of lymphocyte blast transformation (RLBT). It was established that fluid extract I contained 2.4% polysaccharides, 3.1% hydroxycinnamic derivatives, 0.24% flavonoids, and 2.9% polyphenols; the fluid extract II contained 4.13% hydroxycinnamic derivatives, 0.16% flavonoids, and 3.84% polyphenols; fluid extract III contained 2.7% hydroxycinnamic derivatives, 0.18% flavonoids and 2.7% polyphenols. All the extracts under study possessed a marked stimulant effect on the transformation activity of the immunocompetent blood cells. The highest immunomodulatory activity was established for 96% ethanol extract: the percentage of lymphocytes proliferating in RLBT under the influence of this extract increased by 6.77– 8.04 times in comparison with their spontaneous transformation and by 1.14–1.36 times in comparison with phytohemagglutinin. The results obtained give grounds for further research in the mechanisms of the immunomodulatory activity of the extracts of G. verum herb.