Immunomodulatory activities of Petiveria alliacea L

The hexane extract of Petiveria alliacea increased the phagocytotic index of human granulocytes from 4.0 to 6.2, while a cyclohexane-methanol fraction gave a maximum value of 5.6 at 0.5 mg/mL. These values were not significantly different (p<0.05) from the modified immunostimulatory dipeptide: N-formyl-methionyl-phenylalanine at the same dose. Mature mice treated intraperitoneally with the hexane extract at a dose of 23.0 mg/kg/day gave a differential cell count (DCC) value of 8.66%+/-0.9% while its medium polar counterpart gave 6.26%+/-0.9%. The control value was 3.18%+/-0.85%. One of the active immunomodulatory compounds present in the extract is dibenzyltrisulphide. Both extracts and compound caused an increase in the weight of the thymus and Peyer's patches, however the splenic mass was not significantly altered. (C) 1997 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.