Table 2

Antioxidant and immunomodulatory activities of Chinese tonifying herbs

aDPPH radical scavenging IC50 (mg/ml)
 bImmunomodulatory index in vitro
 cImmunomodulatory index ex vivo
Control
1.00 ± 0.03
 1.00 ± 0.05
Yang herbs


Cortex Eucommiae
 > 5
 0.46 ± 0.02*
 1.04 ± 0.09
Fructus Psoraleae
 1.0 ± 0.0
 1.42 ± 0.02*
 1.23 ± 0.01*
Herba Cistanches
 1.8 ± 0.0
 0.75 ± 0.13
 0.95 ± 0.12
Herba Epimedii
 1.1 ± 0.1
 0.57 ± 0.03*
 0.98 ± 0.01
Radix Dipsaci
 0.8 ± 0.0
 0.42 ± 0.08*
 1.02 ± 0.02
Radix Morindae
 > 5
 2.16 ± 0.10*
 1.31 ± 0.04*
Rhizoma Cibotii
 0.6 ± 0.0
 0.16 ± 0.03*
 0.97 ± 0.04
Rhizoma Drynariae
 > 5
 0.59 ± 0.09*
 0.98 ± 0.08
Yin herbs


Fructus Ligustri
 0.5 ± 0.0
 1.73 ± 0.07*
 1.80 ± 0.17*
Herba Dendrobii
 1.4 ± 0.1
 2.54 ± 0.09*
 1.59 ± 0.09*
Herba Ecliptae
 > 5
 1.65 ± 0.02*
 1.27 ± 0.12*
Radix Asparagi
 > 5
 0.70 ± 0.02*
 1.24 ± 0.05*
Radix Ophiopogonis
 > 5
 1.65 ± 0.05*
 1.44 ± 0.11*
Radix Oryzae
 > 5
 0.78 ± 0.13
 0.97 ± 0.04
Rhizoma Polygonati
 3.5 ± 0.3
 1.43 ± 0.09*
 1.21 ± 0.06*
Semen Prinsepiae
 > 5
 1.70 ± 0.03*
 1.39 ± 0.11*

aMethanol extracts of tonifying herbs were subjected to the DPPH assay. Values given are means ± S.D., (n = 3). (DPPH scavenging activity was regarded as negligible if the IC50 was > 5 mg/ml).

bSplenocytes isolated from mice were cultured in 96-well microtiter plates in a final volume of 100 μl of culture medium, with the respective methanol extracts added at final concentrations ranging from 15.6–1000 μg/ml. Values given are means ± S.E.M., (n = 4).

cAnimals were pretreated orally with the methanol extracts at a daily dose of 1 g/kg for 3 days. All animals were sacrificed 24 hours post-dosing. Splenocytes isolated from pretreated animals were cultured in microtiter plates in a final volume of 100 μl culture medium. Values given are means ± S.E.M., (n = 3–5).

* Significantly different from the control group (P < 0.05)

Ko and Leung Chinese Medicine 2007 2:3   doi:10.1186/1749-8546-2-3