EFFECTS OF THE TURKISH SUBSPECIES OF VISCUM-ALBUM ON MACROPHAGE-DERIVED CYTOKINES

Viscum album L. herbs are used for the treatment of various diseases. Apart from their immunostimulatory, antitumor, and hypotension inducin g activities, anti-inflammatory effects has also been recorded in the literature. Since the immunostimulatory activity of mistletoe is mainl y attributed to a stimulation of the mononuclear phagocytic system and to an induction of inflammation by macrophage-derived cytokines, util ization based on anti-inflammatory activity seems in contrast with its use as immunostimulant. The inhibitory effects of 80% ethanol extract s and subfractions obtained by petroleum ether, diethylether, ethylace tate and n-butanol from three Turkish subspecies of V. album L. (ssp. album, ssp. abietis, ssp. austriacum) against interleukins (IL-1 alpha and IL-1 beta) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha were studied. Ethanoli c (80%) extracts of all three subspecies exhibited almost no significa nt inhibitory activity on the proinflammatory cytokines, at least in t he concentrations applied in this study. In contrast, they induce a co ncentration dependent stimulation of these cytokines. On the other han d, moderate to weak, dose dependent inhibitory effects were observed o n fractionation, which may be attributed to the existence of less pola r components with anti-inflammatory activity. Based on our results, it was concluded that the utilization of ethanol extracts for anti-infla mmatory purposes would not be beneficial probably due to the partial e xtraction of the low-molecular-weight polypeptides, i.e. viscotoxins; which induce an inflammatory response. Moreover, for anti-inflammatory effects, extracts of Viscum album ssp. austriacum may be preferred, s ince higher inhibitory ratios were obtained against inflammatory cytok ines than with the other two subspecies. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Ire land Ltd. All rights reserved.