Increased production of antigen-specific immunoglobulins G and M followingin vivo treatment with the medicinal plants Echinacea angustifolia and Hydrastis canadensis

A number of immunomodulatory effects have been attributed to the medicinal plants Echinacea angustifolia and Goldenseal (Hydrastis canadensis); howeve r, little is known about whether treatment with these plants can enhance an tigen-specific immunity. We investigated the antigen-specific in vivo immun omodulatory potential of continuous treatment with Echinacea and Goldenseal root extract over a period of 6 weeks using rats that were injected with t he novel antigen keyhole limpet hemocyanin (KLH) and re-exposed to KLH afte r the initial exposure. Immunoglobulin production was monitored via ELISA c ontinuously over a period of 6 weeks. The Echinacea-treated group showed a significant augmentation of their primary and secondary IgG response to the antigen, whereas the Goldenseal-treated group showed an increase in the pr imary IgM response during the first 2 weeks of treatment. Our results sugge st that medicinal plants like Echinacea or Goldenseal may enhance immune fu nction by increasing antigen-specific immunoglobulin production. (C) 1999 E lsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.