Immunomodulatory Impacts of Bulbs Extracts From Five Allium Species on IFN-γ, IL-4, and IL-17 Cytokines

Nowadays, the impacts of medicinal plants on immune-related diseases are one of the main pharmacological approaches. Thus, here, the modulatory potential of some Allium species on T helper cell cytokines were investigated.

The different concentrations of aqueous extract of the aged bulbs of five Allium species were prepared. Lymphocytes were then isolated and cultured in the presence of the bulb extracts. The amounts of IFN-γ, IL-4 and IL-17 were assessed using ELISA.

The results demonstrated that A. sativum bulbs extract increased IFN-γ production at all concentrations, especially at 0.0001 and 0.01 mg/mL. After treatment with all doses of A. asarense bulbs extract, IFN-γ production by lymphocytes was dropped, and this effect was remarkable at the lowest concentrations (0.0001, 0.001 and 0.005 mg/mL). The bulbs extract of A. asarense enhanced IL-4 production by the treated cells, whereas the bulbs extracts of A. sativum, A. jesdianum, and A. lenkoranicum had inhibitory effects on the production of IL-4. Treatment with the bulbs extracts of A. sativum and A. asarense caused increases in the secretion of IL-17 by the lymphocytes to some extent; however, the cytokine production decreased somewhat after incubation with A. jesdianum bulbs extracts. IFN-γ/ IL-4 ratio was raised after treatment of lymphocytes with A. stipitatum and A. sativum bulbs extracts, while incubation with A. asarense bulbs extracts decreased it.

Since the bulbs extracts of the studied Allium species demonstrated immunomodulatory features, with further research, they would be considered as useful candidate for clinical purposes.