Immunomodulatory properties of plants and mushrooms
ORCiD
David M. Ojcius: 0000-0003-1461-4495
Department
Biomedical Sciences
Document Type
Article
Publication Title
Trends in Pharmacological Sciences
ISSN
1873-3735
Volume
38
Issue
11
DOI
10.1016/j.tips.2017.07.006
First Page
967
Last Page
981
Publication Date
11-1-2017
Abstract
Plants and mushrooms are used for medicinal purposes and the screening of molecules possessing biological activities. A single plant or mushroom may produce both stimulatory and inhibitory effects on immune cells, depending on experimental conditions, but the reason behind this dichotomy remains obscure. We present here a large body of experimental data showing that water extracts of plants and mushrooms usually activate immune cells, whereas ethanol extracts inhibit immune cells. The mode of extraction of plants and mushrooms may thus determine the effects produced on immune cells, possibly due to differential solubility and potency of stimulatory and inhibitory compounds. We also examine the possibility of using such plant and mushroom extracts to treat immune system disorders.
Recommended Citation
Martel, J.,
Ko, Y. F.,
Ojcius, D. M.,
Lu, C. C.,
Chang, C. J.,
Lin, C. S.,
Lai, H. C.,
&
Young, J. D.
(2017).
Immunomodulatory properties of plants and mushrooms.
Trends in Pharmacological Sciences, 38(11), 967–981.
DOI: 10.1016/j.tips.2017.07.006
https://scholarlycommons.pacific.edu/dugoni-facarticles/495
