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Folium Plantaginis majoris
Studies using individual components of the P. major leaf extracts were
conducted on lymphocyte transformation by the BrdU immunoassay.
Also studies of secretion of gamma-interferon using an enzyme-linked
immunosorbent assay (ELISA) were performed. The results showed that
the water-soluble components, namely aucubin, chlorogenic acid, ferulic
acid, p-coumaric acid and vanillic acid, enhanced the activity of human
lymphocyte proliferation and secretion of gamma-interferon. Among the
water-insoluble components, with the exception of luteolin, both baicalein
and baicalin resulted in an enhancement of the human peripheral
blood mononuclear cells. Although oleanolic acid and ursolic acids did
not significantly affect the proliferation of peripheral blood mononuclear
cells they exhibited a strong stimulation of gamma-interferon secretion.
Linalool, a monoterpenoid, showed immunomodulatory activity similar
to that of the triterpenes (46).
An endotoxin-free methanol extract from P. major leaves, at doses of
50, 100, 250 and 500 µg/ml, increased nitric oxide production by 4.4 ± 1,
6 ± 1, 12 ± 0.4 and 18 ± 0.4-fold, and increased tumour necrosis factor
alpha (TNFα) production by 621 ± 31, 721 ± 36, 727 ± 36 and 1056 ±
52 U/ml, respectively in rat peritoneal macrophages. Nitric oxide and
TNFα production in untreated macrophages was negligible. In addition,
the extract dose-dependently potentiated concanavalin A-induced lymphoproliferation
(3- to 12-fold increases), as compared with concanavalin
A alone. The regulation of immune parameters induced by the plant extract
may be clinically relevant in numerous diseases (68).
Haematopoietic effects
Aqueous, methanol, chloroform and hexane extracts of P. major leaves
were tested for immunostimulant and haematopoietic activities (independent
and interdependent) on cultures of Escherichia coli, Bacillus subtilis
and Candida albicans and also on CD(1) mice bone marrow and splenocyte
cultures (37 °C for 72 hours). Aqueous and methanol extracts at concentrations
of 0.4 and 0.2 mg/ml increased the bone marrow cell concentration
by 2.70-fold and 3.15-fold, and also increased the spleen cell
concentration by 3.38-fold and 6.39-fold, respectively (p < 0.001). The
data demonstrated in vitro haematopoietic activity of P. major (69).
Antimicrobial activity
A 50% aqueous-ethanol extract of dried leaves of P. major had antibacterial
activity against Shigella dysenteriae at a concentration of 50 µl/agar
plate (70) in vitro. A tincture (1:10) was active against Bacillus subtilis
(0.1 ml/agar plate), Escherichia coli (30 µl/disc), and Staphylococcus aureus
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