Amit Gupta*,Sushama R Chaphalkar
The aim of the present work was to examine the immunopharmacological (anti-microbial and anti-inflammatory) effect of saponin on human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) that are isolated as well as purified from infected (virally) and non-infected (normal) human whole blood samples. However, there is little information available concerning the effect of crude saponin on human PBMC in case of infected and non-infected human PBMCs. Saponin, one of the members of secondary metabolites that are isolated from aqueous leaves extract of Terminalia arjuna and Prosopis spicigera. Our group evaluated the immunopharmacological activity of saponin (0.5–30 mg/ml, 100 μl) in human PBMC were determined and measured cell proliferation using Concanvalin (Con A, 2.5 μg/ml, 50 μl) and estimate Th1 (IFN-gamma and TNF alpha) type of cytokines from cell culture supernatant including nitric oxide production. The results showed that crude saponin from Terminalia arjuna and Prosopis spicigera showed its inhibitory activity at higher doses (30 mg/ml, 100 μl) in Con A induced PBMC (infected and non-infected) proliferation. In addition, these saponin also inhibits its Th1 (IFN-gamma and TNF alpha) type of cytokines from Con A stimulated cell culture supernatant of PBMC and also inhibits nitric oxide production in a dose dependent manner. In conclusion, saponin appears to have potential as an anti-microbial and anti-inflammatory agent.