Nutr Res Pract.  2023 Apr;17(2):206-217. 10.4162/nrp.2023.17.2.206.

Immune-enhancing effect of hydrolyzed and fermented Platycodon grandiflorum extract in cyclophosphamide-induced immunosuppressed BALB/c mice

• Lee HS
• Kim SM
• Jung JI
• Lim J
• Woo M
• Kim EJ

• KMID: 2541359
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.4162/nrp.2023.17.2.206

Abstract

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES
The immunomodulatory effect of Platycodon grandiflorum (PG) has been reported, but studies on its mechanism are still lacking. This study was undertaken to confirm whether the hydrolyzed and fermented PG extract (HFPGE) obtained by adding hydrolysis and fermentation to the extraction process has an immune-enhancing effect in the in vivo system.
MATERIALS/METHODS
Five-week-old BALB/c mice were divided into 4 groups: normal control group (NOR), control group (CON), 150 mg/kg body weight (BW)/day HFPGEtreated group (T150), and 300 mg/kg BW/day HFPGE-treated group (T300). The mice were administered HFPGE for 4 weeks and intraperitoneally injected with cyclophosphamide (CPA, 80 mg/kg BW/day) on day 6, 7, and 8, respectively, to induce immunosuppression. The levels of immunoglobulins (Igs) and cytokines were measured in the serum. In splenocytes, proliferation and cytokine levels were measured.
RESULTS
Serum IgA, IgG, and IgM levels were observed to decrease after CPA treatment, which was recovered by HFPGE administration. The levels of serum interleukin (IL)-12, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, IL-8, and transforming growth factor (TGF)-β were also decreased after exposure to CPA but increased after HFPGE administration. Decreased splenocyte proliferation was seen in CPA-treated mice, but was observed to increase in the T150 and T300 groups as compared to the NOR group. Compared to the CON group, splenocyte proliferation stimulated with concanavalin A (ConA) or lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in the HFPGE-treated groups was significantly increased. The cytokines secreted by ConAstimulated splenocytes (IL-2, IL-12, interferon-γ, TNF-α) were increased in the T150 and T300 groups, and cytokines secreted by LPS-stimulated splenocytes (IL-4, IL-8, TGF-β) were also increased by HFPGE administration.
CONCLUSION
These results suggest that HFPGE stimulates the immunity in immunosuppressed conditions, thereby enhancing the immune response. Therefore, it is expected that HFPGE has the potential to be used as functional food and medicine for immune recovery in various immunocompromised situations.

Keyword

Platycodon grandiflorum; cyclophosphamide; immunity; immunoglobulin; cytokine

Figure

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  Fig. 1 Experimental design to examine the effect of HFPGE on immune-enhancing activity in CPA-treated BALB/c mice.HFPGE, hydrolyzed and fermented Platycodon grandiflorum extract; CPA, cyclophosphamide; NOR, normal control group (injected with vehicle + treated with vehicle); CON, control group (injected with CPA + treated with vehicle); T150, 150 mg/kg BW/day HFPGE-treated group (injected with CPA + treated with 150 mg of HFPGE/kg BW/day); T300, 300 mg/kg BW/day HFPGE-treated group (injected with CPA + treated with 300 mg of HFPGE/kg BW/day); BW, body weight.

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  Fig. 2 Effect of HFPGE on BW and spleen and thymus weight in CPA-treated BALB/c mice.BALB/c mice were administered HFPGE (150 or 300 mg/kg BW/day) for 4 weeks. To induce immunosuppression, the mice were intraperitoneally injected with CPA (80 mg/kg BW/day) on day 6, 7, and 8. The BW was measured, and the BW gain was calculated. After 4-weeks HFPGE administration, all mice were sacrificed, and the spleen and thymus were resected from mice. (A) BW changes; (B) BW gain; (C) Spleen weight; (D) Thymus weight. Values are expressed as the mean ± SEM (n = 10). Means without a common letter differ significantly at P < 0.05.HFPGE, hydrolyzed and fermented Platycodon grandiflorum extract; CPA, cyclophosphamide; BW, body weight; NOR, normal control group (injected with vehicle + treated with vehicle); CON, control group (injected with CPA + treated with vehicle); T150, 150 mg/kg BW/day HFPGE-treated group (injected with CPA + treated with 150 mg of HFPGE/kg BW/day); T300, 300 mg/kg BW/day HFPGE-treated group (injected with CPA + treated with 300 mg of HFPGE/kg BW/day).

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  Fig. 3 Effect of HFPGE on proliferation of splenocytes from CPA-treated BALB/c mice.Splenocytes were plated at a density of 1 × 105 cells/well in a 24-well plate. After 24 h, cells were stimulated with 5 µg/mL ConA and 100 µg/mL LPS, and incubated for 48 h. Cell proliferation was measured using a CellTiter 96® AQueous One Solution Cell Proliferation Assay kit. Values are expressed as the mean ± SEM (n = 10). Means without a common letter differ significantly at P < 0.05.HFPGE, hydrolyzed and fermented Platycodon grandiflorum extract; CPA, cyclophosphamide; ConA, concanavalin A; LPS, lipopolysaccharide; NOR, normal control group (injected with vehicle + treated with vehicle); CON, control group (injected with CPA + treated with vehicle); T150, 150 mg/kg BW/day HFPGE-treated group (injected with CPA + treated with 150 mg of HFPGE/kg BW/day); T300, 300 mg/kg BW/day HFPGE-treated group (injected with CPA + treated with 300 mg of HFPGE/kg BW/day); BW, body weight.

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