Effects of the extract of Spirostachys venenifera Pax on the immune response in mice

The effects of the methanol extract of Spirostachys venenifera Pax (SVP) on the immune response in mice was investigated. Keyhole limpet haemocyanin ( KLH) was the antigen, An enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to monitor serum antibody levels in mice exposed to various doses of SVP a t a dosage of 0.1 mg/Kg, In mice in vivo, SVP caused a significant suppress ion of the immune response compared to control mice that received no SVP, A haemolytic plaque assay was used to monitor the effect of SVP on antibody producing IP lymphocytes from the peritoneum and from the spleen in vitro. SVP caused a reduction in the number of plaque forming cells (PFC) at 0.1 u g/ml with peritoneal B cells. There was further reduction of PFC with highe r doses of SVP, With the spleen B cells, clear reduction in PFC was seen on ly with the higher doses of SVP, from 1 ug/ml upwards to 100 ug/ml, The pro spect of developing a new immunosuppressive agent from SVP is a welcome pos sibility that cam add to the newer immunosuppressive agents with greater ef ficacy and less side effects in comparison to the traditional ones.