• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.43-46
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• 2009

The immunosuppressive properties of flavonoids were examined for the first time by testing their effects on T-cell-mediated antibody production, using a classical plague-forming cell (PFC) assay in mice. Among the tested flavonoids including naringenin, chrysin, flavonol, galangin, quercetin, morin, myricetin and biochanin A, only quercetin, orally administered at 25 mg/kg, significantly inhibited the number of IgMproducing PFCs induced by sheep red blood cells (SRBC). Interestingly, biochanin A (isoflavone) increased the number of PFCs, suggesting an immunostimulatory effect. The other flavonoids tested did not inhibit or enhance PFC response significantly. Quercetin was also found to show thymus atrophy dose-dependently at 5-500 mg/kg. All these results indicate that quercetin inhibits in vivo antibody production probably by inhibiting T-cell function.

• Journal of the Korean Dietetic Association
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.44-50
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• 2005

Natural products are increasingly appreciated as a lead for drug discovery and development. A number of investigators have studied various activities of natural products and have found that they have not only nutritional effects but also beneficial properties to cure various diseases and to maintain good health. Job's Tear(Yul-Moo) is a grass crop that have long been used in traditional medicine and a nourishing food. Job's Tear has been reported to exhibit anti-inflammatory, stomachic, antiallergic activity, and antispastic effects and has been used in China for the treatment of warts, rheumatism, and neuralgia although its mechanism remains unclear. Previous results in our laboratory demonstrated that the ethanol extract and water extract of Job's Tear exerted an immune regulatory function on mice cells in vitro. The present study was performed to investigate the ex vivo effect of Job's Tear on immune function. Seven to eight weeks old mices(Balb/c) were fed ad libitum on chow diet and water extract of Job's Tear were orally administrated every other day for two or four weeks at two different concentrations (50 and 500mg/kg B.W.). Proliferation of mice spenocytes and antibody production to sheep red blood cells(SRBC) using hemolytic plague forming cell assay were used to indicate the immune activity. Splenocytes proliferation of Job's Tear with mitogen stimulation such as Con A and LPS was enhanced at 50 mg/kg B.W. concentrations compared to those of control group. In case of antibody production to sheep red blood cells, the number of antibody- secreting cells was increased by administration of 50mg/kg B.W. concentration in mice immunized as a T-dependent antigen. From the present study, Job's Tear water extracts may be suggested to stimulate the mice immune response by enhancing the splenocytes proliferation and the number of plague forming cells.

• The Korean Journal of Food And Nutrition
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.269-274
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• 2008

Plants have long been used as a food source in Korea. In this study, we investigated the combined immunomodulative effects of a water extract mixture of(pine needles, Sedum sarmentosum Bunge, hijkiaorme, buckwheat and Peril a leaves) on Balb/c mice $7{\sim}8$ weeks old. The mice were fed a chow diet ad libitum and the plant extract was orally administered every other day for four weeks at two different concentrations(50 and 500 mg/kg BW). After preparing the single-cell suspension, splenocyte proliferation was determined by the MTT(3-[4,5-di-methylthiazol-2-y]-2,5-diphenyl terazolium bromide) assay. After 48hrs of incubation with the mitogens(ConA or LPS) splenocyte from the mice groups administered 50 and 500 mg/kg BW of the plant extract showed a significant increased in proliferation compared to the control group. A hemolytic plague forming cell assay was used to indicate antibody production against sheep red blood cells(SRBC). The number of antibody-secreting cells T-dependent antigen. The result of this study suggest that supplementation with this plant extract may regulate immune function by increasing splenocyte proliferation and the number of plaque forming cells.