Effects Of A Concoction Composed Of Chitosan, Ginsenosides And Hawthorn On Immunological Function In Mice

In recent years, with the increasingly progresses of social and living levels, humans became seriously concerned about their own physiological conditions involved in auto-immunity and shifting from sub-health status to health when they are facing a variety of diseases such as cancers, AIDS, SARS, etc. Studies on healthful foods and relative products are further explored, moreover, the effective components extracted from Chinese herbs are invetigated extensively.Chinese medicinal herbs is resourceful in our country. Ginsen, a medicinal herb, is of great price. More than 2000 years ago, Ginsen is employed for disease treatment in time-honoured China. Morden pharmacological studies on medicinal herbs showed that Ginsenosides is mainly effective components in Ginsen, and in the end of 19 centry, scientists, who worked in China, Japan and Korea, had begun to investigate its pharmacodynamics, but they had not yet expanded their efforts into studies on immunological function of Ginsen. Chtin, a nature high molecular weght polysaccharide orignated from shells, is mainly obtained from sea-borned living beings such as crabs and shrimps. Chtin is deacetylated and dissolved in water to make what is called a Chitosan. In 1970's, the special medical practice and healthful value of Chtin and Chitosan were discovered. The current data demonstrate that Chtin and Chitosan exhibit a variety of physiological effects on humanbody. Recently, a lot of studies suggested that Chtin and Chitosan can inhibit growth and metastasis of cance cells and regulate lipid level in blood and blood pressure.Hawthorn, a kind of medicinal herbs widely distributed in our country, is much valuble for its medicinal agents. Some chemical ingredients in Hawthorn can regulate lipid level in blood and blood pressure and relieve fatigue. Current studies showed that polysaccharides in Hawthorn can reduce lipid level of blood, but the effect of extracts from Hawthorn on immunological regulation both in animals and in humans are uncertain. Therefor, it is necessary to initiate an exploration for the potential activity of Hawthorn in immunity. [Objective] Health and medical care is one of globe problems in the 21st century. With the improment of living standards and the increasingly interresting on health, a variety of healthful foods orignated from effective components of medicinal herbs have emerged currently. A concotion composed of Chitosan, Ginsenosides and Hawthorn were primaryly invetigated on immunological regulation in mice. For us this experiment will help clarify some medical effectiveness of these medicinal herbs. [Method] The animals were randomly grouped into three groups( 1. high dosage: Chitosan 400mg/kg, Ginsenosides 360mg/60kg, Hawthorn 200mg/kg, 2. middle dosage: Chitosan 200mg/kg, Ginsenosides 200mg/60kg, Hawthorn 100mg/kg, 3. low dosage: Chitosan 100mg/kg, Ginsenosides 50mg/60kg, Hawthorn 50mg/kg) and a control group. Concoction of medicinal herbs were given by oral route once a day for 30 days. The weight of organs in experimental and control groups will be weighed. Reproduction capacity of lymphocytes in spleen will be detected in both experimental and control groups using MTT mehtods. Phagocytic ability of macrophages in abdominal cavity will be also carried out. [Results] The index number of thumus is not significant in both experimental and control groups. In both hgih and middle dosage groups the index number of spleen is significant as compared with that in control group. Reproduction capacity of lymphocytes in spleen induced by ConA in both high and middel dose animals is higher as compared with that in control group. Phagocytic percentage of macrophages in both hgih and middle dosage groups is higher than that in control groups, and the phagocytic index number in both hgih and middle dosage groups is significant.These data suggest that this concoction of medicinal herbs can enhance the cellular and humoral immunity and promote the phagocytosis in animals.[Conclusion] In conclusion, this study showed that the concoction extracted from Chitosan, Ginsenosides and Hawthorn can inhance phagocytic ability of macrophages in mice, it suggests that this mixed herbs exhibit an enhancement on nonspecific host defense in mice. B lymphocytes are responsible for humoral immunity, and T lymphocytes are responsible for cellular immunity. B cells are lyphaocytes that develop in the bone marrow in mammals. Then they migrate to a secondary lymphoid organs—for example, splee, and may be activated by an encounter with antigen. T cells are lymphocytes that require maturation in the thymus and form several ssubclasses with specific functions. Therefore, the concoction of Chitosan, Ginsenosides and Hawthorn exhibits an enhancement on immunity in mice.