IMMUNOMODULATORY ACTIVITIES OF SOME TURKISH MEDICINAL-PLANTS

The extracts of Arctium minus, Ecballium elaterium, Momordica charanti a, Plantago major, Urtica dioica and Viscum album used for various dis orders in Anatolia were investigated in vitro for their neutrophil che motactic and intracellular killing activities by Boyden migration cham ber and nitrozoblue tetrazolium (NBT) dye reduction tests, respectivel y, The extracts of Arctium minus, Momordica charantia, Urtica dioica a nd Viscum album were statistically active in chemotaxis and random mig ration tests, Also, the extracts of Urtica dioica seeds and leaves are suggested as possibly useful for patients suffering from neutrophil f unction deficiency, On the other hand, NBT results indicated that the extracts of Arctium minus, Ecballium elaterium and Viscum album have t he ability to reduce active radicals suggesting that these extracts ar e also valuable in the medical treatment of some diseases associated w ith free radical damage. (C) 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.