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J Herbmed Pharmacol. 2025;14(2): 217-229.
doi: 10.34172/jhp.2025.52690
  Abstract View: 10
  PDF Download: 8

Original Article

Immunomodulatory effects of crude acetone and water leaf extracts from Tulbaghia violacea on RAW264.7 cells stimulated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS)

Samkeliso Takaidza 1* ORCID logo, Cornelius Cano Ssemakalu 1 ORCID logo, Chinenyenwa Fortune Chukwuneme 1 ORCID logo, Michael Pillay 2 ORCID logo

1 Department of Natural Sciences, Vaal University of Technology, Private Bag X021, Vanderbijlpark, 1900, South Africa
2 Department of Life and Consumer Sciences, College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences, University of South Africa, Florida Campus, Johannesburg, South Africa
*Corresponding Author: Samkeliso Takaidza, Email: samkelisot@vut.ac.za

Abstract

Introduction: Tulbaghia violacea is a medicinal plant used in traditional healing practices in South Africa. This study sought to investigate if water and acetone extracts from T. violacea impact immunomodulation by influencing the production of cytokines and nitric oxide (NO) in macrophages stimulated by lipopolysaccharide (LPS).

Methods: The 3-(4, 5-dimethylthiazolyl-2)-2, 5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay was performed to examine the toxicity of acetone and aqueous extracts from T. violacea on RAW264.7 cells treated with LPS over 24 hours. The effect of NO production in treated cells was examined using a Greiss assay, while cytokine levels were determined using a Luminex assay.

Results: The viability of RAW264.7 cells remained higher than 80% after exposure to 50 µg/mL or lower concentrations of both water and acetone extracts. The acetone extract showed potent inhibitory effects on NO production at 50 µg/mL and increased pro-inflammatory cytokines, including tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), interleukin-1a (IL-1α), and interleukin-6 (IL-6) but did not significantly affect interleukin-1beta (IL-1β). The water extract significantly increased IL-4 levels (P<0.05) at 48 hours. Both extracts increased granulocyte-colony stimulating factor (GCSF), granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF), interferon-gamma-induced protein 10 (IP10), macrophage inflammatory protein-1 alpha and beta (MIP-1α and MIP-1β), monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1), macrophage inflammatory protein-2 (MIP-2), and regulated upon activation, normal T cell expressed and secreted RANTES levels to over 10 000 pg/mL.

Conclusion: Both extracts from T. violacea possess immunomodulatory activities on LPS-stimulated RAW264.7 cells. Further studies should determine their toxicities and suitability as alternatives to synthetic counterparts.


Implication for health policy/practice/research/medical education:

Treatment with Tulbaghia violacea extracts showed immunomodulatory activities on LPS-stimulated RAW264.7 cells. These findings can inform policy promoting the use of this plant in health care, especially in areas where it is readily available and culturally acceptable as well as serve as an avenue for further research in the mechanism of action, which can potentially lead to the discovery of new anti-inflammatory and immune-boosting therapeutic agents.

Please cite this paper as: Takaidza S, Ssemakalu CC, Chukwuneme CF, Pillay M. Immunomodulatory effects of crude acetone and water leaf extracts from Tulbaghia violacea on RAW264.7 cells stimulated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS). J Herbmed Pharmacol. 2025;14(2):217-229. doi: 10.34172/jhp.2025.52690.

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Submitted: 12 Aug 2024
Revision: 18 Feb 2025
Accepted: 19 Feb 2025
ePublished: 01 Apr 2025
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