A robust, well-functioning immune system is the cornerstone of good health. Various factors may influence the immune system’s effectiveness, potentially leading to immune system failure. This review aims to provide an overview of the structure and action of immunomodulators isolated from African medicinal plants. The research was conducted according to PRISMA guidelines. Full-text access research articles published in English up to December 2023, including plant characteristics, isolated phytochemicals, and immuno-modulatory activities, were screened. The chemical structures of the isolated compounds were generated using ChemDraw^® (version 12.0.1076), and convergent and distinctive signaling pathways were highlighted. These phytochemicals with demonstrated immunostimulatory activity include alkaloids (berberine, piperine, magnoflorine), polysaccharides (pectin, glucan, acemannan, CALB-4, GMP90-1), glycosides (syringin, cordifolioside, tinocordiside, aucubin), phenolic compounds (ferulic acid, vanillic acid, eupalitin), flavonoids (curcumin, centaurein, kaempferin, luteolin, guajaverin, etc.), terpenoids (oleanolic acid, ursolic acid, betulinic acid, boswellic acids, corosolic acid, nimbidin, andrographolides). These discussed compounds exert their effects through various mechanisms, targeting the modulation of MAPKs, PI3K-Akt, and NF-kB. These mechanisms can support the traditional use of medicinal plants to treat immune-related diseases. The outcomes of this overview are to provoke structural action optimization, to orient research on particular natural chemicals for managing inflammatory, infectious diseases and cancers, or to boost vaccine immunogenicity.

INPLASY202410116 A Systematic Review Of Chemical Compounds With Immunomodulatory Action Isolated From African Medicinal Plants Keywords: African medicinal plants ; Phytochemicals; Immunomodulators …

Carica papaya is used alone or with other herbs in traditional medicine to treat infectious diseases; nonetheless, comprehensive scientific validation of this claim is limited. We conducted this preliminary study to explore its immunomodulatory potential through cytokine modulation. An aqueous ethanolic crude extract of plant leaves was evaluated for phytochemical groups, total flavonoid, and phenolic content using aluminum chloride and Folin-Ciocalteu’s methods. The crude extract and its derived fractions were compared with thin-layer chromatography, and antioxidant properties were assessed using the 2,2′-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radical scavenging assay and the Ferric Ion Reducing Antioxidant Power assay. Additionally, the effects of the extracts on cell proliferation, cytokine, and nitric oxide release by mouse peritoneal macrophages and bone marrow multipotent cells in culture were evaluated using the 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay, the Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA), and the Griess reagent. The cells were collected from Swiss strain mice (12 mice). Carica papaya leaf crude extract contained alkaloids, tannins, flavonoids, anthraquinones, and terpenoids. The crude extract’s total phenolic and flavonoid contents were 14.07±5.76 gallic acid equivalents and 22.58±3.05 quercetin equivalents per gram of extract. The crude extract showed more potent antioxidant activity. Crude extract and fractions stimulated the proliferation of peritoneal macrophages at 1–10μg/mL and bone marrow multipotent cells at 0.01–0.3μg/mL in a concentration-dependent manner. Interleukin-6 and tumor necrosis factor-α production were significantly increased, while interleukin-1β production was inhibited in treated peritoneal macrophages. Treated bone marrow cells increased granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor, stem cell factor, and thrombopoietin secretion and decreased interleukin-3 production. Nitric oxide production was 10–20 times higher in bone marrow compared to peritoneal macrophage cells. Carica papaya leaf crude extract and fractions exhibit immunomodulatory effects by promoting cytokine release and peritoneal macrophage and bone marrow cell proliferation, explaining the use of C. papaya in infectious diseases in traditional medicine. Further exploration is needed for applications in immune-related diseases.

Introduction: Ficus capensis is a plant used in traditional medicine to stimulate lactation in women and animals in Africa. However, the effects of their extracts on the mammary gland are poorly documented. The objective of the study was to evaluate the effects of Ficus capensis leaves aqueous extracts on NMRI mice milk secretion. Methodology: This was an experimental animal study using virgin female NMRI mice aged eight to ten weeks. The mice were grouped into for groups of eight mice each. Each group received one of the following products: distilled water, Galactogil™, sulpiride, aqueous extracts (AE) of capensis leaves. Data were analysed and processed using Microsoft Excel 2016 and Stata MP 16 with P ≤ .05 as the significance threshold. Results: Arborescence of the galactophorous ducts was more developed in the sulpiride lot. Galactogil™, and capensis leaves extracts treated groups showed almost equivalent arborescence with a higher tendency than the distilled water. With histological haematin- eosin staining, the ratio of galactophorous ducts containing secretions to total ducts was higher in the groups of Ficus capensis AE treated group than distilled water (P = .0001). Galactogil™, sulpiride and the group of Ficus capensis extracts each had higher levels of beta-casein in mammary tissue and average prolactinemia than distilled water (P < .01). Mammary tissue stained by immunohistochemistry with anti-prolactin receptor antibodies showed more intensely labelled mammary glands in the sulpiride and Ficus capensis extracts groups. There was no statistically significant difference between average progesteronemia among the different groups. Conclusion: F. capensis leaves AE administered to virgin female NMRI mice showed lactogenic and mammogenic effects. The extracts were able to increase the nutritional quality of the milk produced, as evidenced by the increase in protein secretion.

Background and Objective: Diabetes mellitus is a chronic disease characterized by high blood glucose due to poor insulin secretion or pancreatic beta cells' absorption and constitutes a public health problem. Multiple approaches have been adopted to combat this pathology, including the search for new bioactive compounds. This study aimed to evaluate in vivo, the antihyperglycemic effects of the Lm extract of Lannea microcarpa trunk bark on an alloxan-induced diabetic Wistar rat model. Methods: To achieve the results, a phytochemical screening of secondary metabolites in the extract was performed using the HPLC-MS method. The hyperglycemic state was induced in rats by a single administration of Allox intraperitoneally, and the effects of Lm5, Lm25, and Glib were investigated. Results: Phytochemical analysis revealed the presence of flavonols, isoflavonoids, and hydrocinnamic acid derivatives. Pharmacologically, the extract significantly reduced blood glucose. After 4 days oral administration of Lm5 and Lm25, blood glucose in diabetic rats was significantly reduced more than 70%, from 228.67±25.82 mg/dL to 112.33±33.152 mg/dL for the Allox+Lm5 and from 261.83±24.17 mg/dL to 99.33±14.72 mg/dL for the Allox+Lm25 groups versus the Allox alone group (240±30.95 mg/dL to 268.4±30.57 mg/dL, p<0.001). The Glib5 reduced hyperglycemia in diabetic rats by 57%, from 254.67±31.08 mg/dL to 121.5±35.69 mg/dL, compared with the Allox alone group (240±30.95 mg/dL to 268.4±30.57 mg/dL) over the same study period (p<0.001). In addition, at baseline, all rats’ groups had homogeneous blood glucose levels (80.67±3.00 mg/dL, 81.33±8.59 mg/dL, and 77.83±4.70 mg/dL for the NaCl 0.9% control, Lm5 and Lm25 groups, respectively). Blood glucose levels in these rats’ groups did not vary significantly throughout the experiment. Interestingly, this extract normalized food and water consumption and attenuated organ hypertrophy in diabetic rats. Conclusion: The Lm extract of L. microcarpa trunk bark has antidiabetic therapeutic potential attributable to its bioactive compounds contained.