Echinacea purpurea (EP) has been widely used to treat upper respiratory infections, influenza, and the common cold. It can also exert various pharmacological activities, such as anti-inflammatory and anti-allergic effects. However, the potential of EP to modulate immune reactions remains unclear. Therefore, we evaluated the immunostimulatory effects of EP in cyclophosphamide (CP)-induced immunosuppressed mice. In this study, EP extract (12.5, 25, or 50 mg/kg) was orally administered to cyclophosphamide-induced immunosuppressed BALB/c mice. Then, indexes of immune organs, including the spleen and thymus, were recorded. Splenocyte proliferation and natural killer (NK) cell activities were measured by lactate dehydrogenase assay. Subsets of T cells, such as CD4+ and CD8+, were measured by flow cytometry, and immuno-cytokines, such as interleukin (IL)-2, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, and interferon (IFN)-γ, were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and real-time polymerase chain reaction. The immunosuppressed mice showed decreased thymus and spleen indexes and immune cell activities. Treatment of EP elevated the indexes of immune organs, splenocyte proliferation, and NK cell activities in CP-induced immunosuppressed mice. Simultaneously, administration of EP reversed the CP-induced decrease in T-lymphocyte subsets (CD4+ and CD8+) and immunocytokines (IL-2, TNF-α, and IFN-γ). Taken together, these findings suggest that EP could be used to enhance health and immunity in immunosuppressed conditions.

This study investigated optimal extraction conditions for application of Ulmus pumila L. as a natural antioxidant. U. pumila L. was extracted using ethanol (EtOH) at various concentrations (0, 40, and 80%) and extraction times (1, 2, and 3 h) at 70°C and then evaluated for extraction yield, total phenolic contents, total flavonoid contents, as well as antioxidant activities [2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), 2,2"-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS) radical scavenging activity, reducing power, and oxygen radical absorbing capacity (ORAC)]. Antioxidant activities were correlated with total phenolic and flavonoid contents. Of the solvent conditions, 80% EtOH extracts for 3 h at 70°C showed the highest total phenolic and flavonoid contents with strong antioxidant activities, although there were no significant time effects on DPPH and ABTS radical scavenging activities and reducing power. However, ORAC values of all EtOH extracts remarkably increased in a time-dependent manner. In addition, 80% EtOH extract for 3 h exhibited strong antioxidant effects on HDF and 3T3-L1 cells. Therefore, the antioxidant capacity of U. pumila L., may due to phenolic and flavonoid contents, and extraction conditions were 80% EtOH for 3 h at 70°C. This extract could be a good source for natural antioxidants.

Inflammatory myofibrolastic tumor (IMT) is a rare borderline neoplasm. It frequently occurs in the lung but occasionally occurs in extrapulmonary sites such as the genitourinary tract, gastrointestinal tract, breast, salivary glands, sinonasal tract, orbit, and the central nervous system. Laryngeal involvement of IMT is very rare. A 61-year-old woman who complained of hoarseness persisting for 3 months visited our hospital. Laryngoscopy showed an elevated lesion in the right true vocal cord. Incisional biopsy was confirmed as larygeal inflammatory myofibrolastic tumor. We performed a transoral excision with CO2 LASER under suspension examination. Regional recurrence or distant metastasis was not observed after 9 months of follow-up. Herein we report a case of larygeal inflammatory myofibrolastic tumor that was treated with surgery alone, with a literature review.