• Advances in Traditional Medicine
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• v.3 no.1
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• pp.34-39
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• 2003

We investigated the immune enhancement effects of JaSaengHwan (JSH). The forced swimming test (FST) has been used as a screening model for new immune enhancement agents. We found that JSH (0.1 mg/ml) significantly reduced the immobility time in the FST compared to the control. Also, we investigated the effect of JSH on the proliferation of T cell and production of cytokines in human T-cell line, MOLT-4 cells and mouse peritoneal macrophages. JSH (1 mg/ml) significantly increased the cell proliferation by $46.78{\pm}6.41%$ (p<0.05) and also significantly increased the interleukin (IL)-2, IL-4 and interferon $(IFN)-{\gamma}$ production compared with media control (about 2-fold for IL-2, 3-fold for IL-4 and 1.5-fold for $IFN-{\gamma}$, p<0.05) at 24 h. In addition, JSH increased the production of IL-12 on the mouse peritoneal macrophages (by 3.6-fold for IL-12, p<0.05). In conclusion, these data indicate that JSH may have an immune-enhancement effect.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.51 no.4
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• pp.398-403
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• 2019

Dioscorea japonica Thunberg (DJ) has been widely used as a healthy food in Korea for the enhancement of physical stamina. Hence, the present study evaluated the immune-enhancing effect of DJ in forced swim test of mouse model. The immobility time of the group treated with DJ for 7 days was significantly reduced in comparison with that of the control group. After a forced swimming test, the changes in blood biochemical parameters and splenic T lymphocyte populations induced by the administration of DJ were assessed. Serum levels of lactic dehydrogenase, creatine phosphokinase, and aspartate aminotransferase were significantly decreased in DJ-administered group compared to the control group. However, administration of DJ did not affect the splenic T lymphocyte populations. Moreover, DJ significantly increased the production of interferon-g and interleukin-2 compared to the media control in splenocytes. Collectively, it may be concluded that DJ is useful for enhancement of physical and immune function.

• Biomedical Science Letters
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.120-126
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• 2022

Natural products are important sources for drug development because they have a wide variety of useful biological properties. Angelica gigas Nakai (AGN) has been used as an herbal medicine. The present study was designed to evaluate the immune-enhancing effect of AGN in the cyclophosphamide (CP) induced immune-suppressed mice. As the result, we found that CP induced the reductions of body ratio, spleen weights, hematopoietic parameter and cytokine productions in mice. However, AGN recovered immunosuppression-mediated decreased body ratio, spleen and thymus weights as well as regulation of hematopoietic parameter including white blood cell, lymphocyte, and neutrophil. According to histological study, AGN regenerated on CP-mediated injured spleen. Moreover, AGN increased the CP-induced reduction of cytokine expression in spleen tissue. Collectively, the findings provide experimental evidence that AGN may be a candidate for health-improving herbs.

• Korean Journal of Plant Resources
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• v.35 no.6
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• pp.697-703
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• 2022

Under the COVID-19 pandemic, interest in immune enhancement is increasing. Although the immune-enhancing activity of plants of the genus Hibiscus has been reported, there is no study on the immune-enhancing activity of H. syriacus. Thus, in this study, we investigated the immune-enhancing activity of Hibiscus syriacus leaves (HSL) in mouse macrophages, RAW264.7 cells, and immunosuppressed mice. HSL increased the production of immunostimulatory factors such as nitric oxide (NO), inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), interleukin-1β (IL-1β), and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and activated the phagocytosis in RAW264.7 cells. The HSL-mediated production of immunostimulatory factors was dependent on toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4), p38, and c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) in RAW264.7 cells. In the immunosuppressed mouse model, HSL increased the spleen index, the levels of the cytokines, and the numbers of lymphocytes, neutrophils, and monocytes. Taken together, HSL may be considered to have immune-enhancing activity and be expected to be used as a potential immune-enhancing agent.

• Journal of Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.66
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• pp.492-502
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• 2023

This study investigated the antioxidant and immune enhancement activities of Artemisia argyi H. fermented by Lactobacillus plantarum. The fermented A. argyi H. ethanol extract increased scavenging activities of 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), 2,2'-azinobis-(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS⁺), hydroxyl (·OH), and superoxide (O₂^-) radicals. Particularly, the ethanol extract of fermented A. argyi H. exhibited higher ·OH and O₂^- radical scavenging activities, compared with DPPH and ABTS⁺ radical scavenging activities. To evaluate the immune enhancement effects of the fermented A. argyi H., mice were fed a normal diet supplemented the fermented A. argyi H. at concentrations of 1%, 2%, and 5%, respectively. The supplementation of fermented A. argyi H. dose-dependently increased splenocyte proliferation. In addition, mice fed with 5% fermented A. argyi H. showed enhanced proliferation of T-cells and B-cells, along with increased levels of interferon-γ, interleukin-10, and tumor necrosis factor-α, compared to the normal group. Furthermore, mice fed with fermented A. argyi H. exhibited an increase in prominent probiotics such as Akkermansia muciniphila and Lactobacillus in gut microbiota, compared to the normal group. This study suggests that fermented A. argyi H. with Lactobacillus plantarum could be used as a dietary antioxidant and immune enhancement agent.

• Food Science and Industry
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• v.55 no.3
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• pp.244-263
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• 2022

Coronavirus, known as one of the causes of colds including mild upper respiratory tract disease in humans, has mutated into the infectious severe disease, COVID-19 through SARS and MERS. The mortality and symptoms of COVID-19 are related to the ability to regulate innate immunity, which acts as the first barrier against microorganisms and viruses. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the demand for food that helps to strengthen immunity is rapidly increasing. Functional foods promote general health and alleviate the risk of disease symptoms by activating multiple biological functions. A recent, there is an interest in discovering functional substances that can induce enhancement of immunity and prevent viral infection as well as relieve disease symptoms. Therefore, this article focus to understand the concept of immune response and highlights the recent status of functional foods and research trends that can help prevent and treat viral infections by inducing the enhancement of immune function.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.45-51
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• 1976

Hematological studies were conducted in reference to the immune enhancing mechanism of formalin applied to, as an inactivating agent, a formalin inactivaed anthrax vaccines in rabbits. Rabbits were inoculated two types of formalinized anthrax immunogens namely capsular and spore vaccines in addition of formalin saline as a control. From immune rabbits, peripheral blood was collected and subjected to count a total erythrocytes, leukocytes, and pyroninophilic lymphocytes. The experimental results were summarized as followings. At a level of 0.5M 0.5ml formalin with or without the addition to vaccine, a total leukocytes count was increased. Due to the increased lymphocytes, the ratio of neutrophil and lymphocyte was lowered within 4 to 12 hours of the postinoculation. Formalin saline, anthrax spore vaccine and capsular vaccine, without group difference, caused an increased level of pyroninophilic lymphocytes in peripheral blood. Throughout the studies, a possible role of immune enhancement by formlin was disscused and suggested.

• Korean Journal of Plant Resources
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• v.35 no.4
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• pp.411-416
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• 2022

Natural products are important sources for drug development because they have a wide variety of useful biological properties. Angelica gigas Nakai (AGN) has been used as an herbal medicine for treatment of colds, pain, and anemia. The present study was designed to evaluate the regulatory effect of AGN on immune enhancement in vivo and in vitro. To investigate the immune-enhancing effect of AGN, we used forced swimming test (FST) experimental model. Mice were orally administered by AGN or distilled water for 14 days and then immobility time and biological parameters in serum were measured. The results showed that immobility time in AGN treatment group was significantly reduced in comparison with the control group. Plasma levels of blood urea nitrogen and lactate dehydrogenase in AGN group was significantly decreased compared with control group. Additionally, we showed that AGN treatment significantly increased immune-related cytokines such as interleukin (IL)-4, IL-2, and interferon (IFN)-𝛾 levels in Molt-4 cells. Collectively, the findings provide experimental evidence that AGN may be effective in improving immune function.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.20-29
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• 1992

Effects of squalene on cellular and non-specific immune responses and antitumor activity in mice were investigated. Cellular and non-specific immunological assay parameters adopted in the present study were delayed-type hypersensitivity reaction and resette forming cells (RFC) for cellular immunity, activities of natural killer (NK) cells and phagocyte for non-specific immunity. Squalene resulted in marked increases of cellular and non-specific immune functions and enhancement of host resistance to tumor challenge in dose-dependent manner.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• v.20 no.6
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• pp.545-549
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• 1997

Effects of swainsonine (SW;8${\alpha}$, ${\beta}$-indolizidine-${\alpha}$, $2{\alpha}$8-triol from Locoweed) on the humoral immune responses of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) wer studied in ICR mice. Mice were divided into 4 groups (10 mice/group), and LPS was given to each mouse 1 hr after i.p. injection with 3.7 mg/kg of swainsonine, by i.p. injection twice a week for 14 days at a dose of 2 mg/kg. Humoral immune responses were evaluated by hemagglutination (HA) titer and splenic plaque forming cells (PFC). The results of this study were summarized as follows: Mice administrated each of LPS and SW showed significant enhancement of the weight ratios of spleen to body, HA titer, 2-mercaptoethanol-resistant HA(MER-HA) titer and PFC compared with those in controls. However, the LPS plus SW treatment decreased HA titer, MER-HA titer and PFC corresponding to humoral immunity, as compared with those in the mice treated with LPS alone. These findings indicated that LPS significantly enhanced humoral immune responses, but their enhancement effects were lowered somewhat by SW.