Dried fruit extract of Terminalia chebula modulates the immune response in mice

Terminalia chebula, traditionally regarded as universal panacea, is known for its pleiotropic effects, including the effects on oxidative stress, malignant tumor growth, wound healing, and insulin sensitivity in Type 2 diabetes. This study reports the effect of dry fruit extract of T. chebula (TCE) on Th1/Th2-mediated immune responses in mice. TCE was administered orally for 10 consecutive days, after which mice were immunized with goat RBC (gRBC) or ovalbumin. TCE enhanced the expression of Th1 cytokine, interferon , decreased interleukin 4, and increased the number of plaque-forming cells in gRBC-immunized mice. The percentage of CD4+ cells and delayed-type hypersensitivity response also increased in these mice. Treatment is reported to increase lymphocyte proliferation and macrophage phagocyte response, but decrease nitrite production. The bone marrow cellularity and WBC count also increased in the treated mice. None of the group showed any sign of toxicity. The data indicate that TCE elicits a significant dose-dependent Th1 response.