Immunomodulatory and Antioxidant Activity of Chloroform Extract of Ficus racemosa Linn. Stem Bark

The immunomodulatory effect of chloroform extract of Ficus racemosa stem bark (CEFR) was evaluated in pyrogallol immunosuppressed rats by measuring humoral antibody response to SRBC (Sheep Red Blood Cells) and found that the primary response on 13th day was 7.67 (The level of rank on 0-12 scale indicating the highest dilution in which the antibodies were found) and secondary response on 20th day was 8.67 at a dose of 100 mg/kg body weight. The primary and secondary responses were found as 9.17 and 11.00 respectively at a dose of 200 mg/kg body weight. These results indicates the improvement in humoral antibody mediated immunity when compared to response produced by the standard, Vitamin-E, which has shown a primary response of 6.33 and a secondary response of 7.50 at 150mg/kg dose. The results are significant (P<0.01) and dose dependent. Phagocytic index and neutrophil index for CEFR were determined in normal mice to assess cellular immunity. The phagocytic index values were 0.0269 (natural logarithmic value of the phagocyte number) at 100 mg/kg dose and 0.0375 at 200 mg/kg dose. These values are greater than control value i.e. 0.0164, revealing the increase in the number of phagocytes and hence cellular immunity, significantly (p<0.05). Neutrophil index values of CEFR were found as 7400 and 7933 at 100 mg/kg and 200 mg/kg doses respectively, which are higher when compared to control value i.e. 7000, indicating the increase in the number of neutrophils and there by confirming improvement in cellular immunity. Oxidative stress also assessed in the blood of pyrogallol immunosuppressed rats on 22nd day of the experiment with reference to lipid peroxidation (LPO), reduced glutathione content (GSH) and catalase activity (CAT). The LPO level found to decrease significantly (P< 0.05) when compared to that of standard, Vitamin-E. GSH and CAT were increased significantly (P<0.05) when compared to that of standard, Vitamin-E. Thus, it was evident that CEFR enhanced the activity of endogenous antioxidant system. Finally the study concluded that CEFR stem bark possess promising immunomodulatory and antioxidant activities.