Anti-Mutagenic and Immunomodulatory Effects of Astragali Radix Extract on a Cyclophosphamide-Induced Immunosuppressed Mouse Model

Although the immunomodulatory effects of Astragali Radix extract (AR) have been documented, its anti-mutagenic activity, a problem arising from chemotherapeutic agents, is rarely reported. Therefore, and AR were investigated using cyclophosphamide (CPA)-induced immunosuppressed mouse model to develop an alternative agent. The fluid-bed-dried aqueous containing 37.5% dextrin exopolymers purified Aureobasidium pullulans SM-2001 (EAP) used in this study. therapeutic potentials at doses ranging 100 mg/kg 400 was estimated by 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) based cytotoxicity splenocyte proliferation assay, body weight lymphatic organ measurements, hematological serum spleen cytokine level natural killer (NK) cell activity real-time RT-PCR expressions splenic mRNA, micronucleus test, histopathological observations, immunohistochemical measurements. In CPA-treated mice, clear immunosuppressive effect observed for all tested parameters. However, oral administration (100, 200, mg/kg) showed dose-dependent favorable inhibitory activities on CPA-induced immunosuppression mutagenicity as compared 200 EAP. Furthermore, (100–400 up-regulated nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer activated B-cells (NF-κB) which are related NK-, T-, B-cell activation, with no critical cytotoxicity. results study clearly demonstrate that appropriate dose could act potential agent significant anti-mutagenicity properties.