Inhibitory Effect of the Water Extract of Spikes of Miscanthus sinensis on IgE Formation in Mice

Hong-Xi Xu; Shigetoshi Kadota; Masao Hattori; Tooru Takahashi; Yasuhiko Kojima; Tsuneo Namba

doi:10.1055/s-2006-959754

Planta Medica, Table of Contents

Planta Med 1993; 59(6): 529-532
DOI: 10.1055/s-2006-959754

Papers

Inhibitory Effect of the Water Extract of Spikes of Miscanthus sinensis on IgE Formation in Mice

Hong-Xi Xu¹ , Shigetoshi Kadota¹ , Masao Hattori¹ , Tooru Takahashi² , Yasuhiko Kojima² , Tsuneo Namba¹

¹Research Institute for Wakan-Yaku (Traditional Sino-Japanese Medicines), Toyama Medical and Pharmaceutical University, Sugitani, Toyama 930-01, Japan
²Health Science Laboratories, Yamanouchi Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., 2-3-11, Nihonbashi-Honcho, Chuo-ku, Tokyo 103, Japan

Abstract

PDF Download

Abstract

The effects of four different plant extracts of the spikes of Miscanthus sinensis, Phragmites communis, and Imperata cylindrica var. major, and of the spikelets of Coix lachryma-jobi on IgE antibody formation were investigated in mice. The IgE antibody titer was tested by the passive cutaneous anaphylaxis (PCA) method in rats. Of these, the water extract of M. sinensis showed an appreciable inhibitory effect on IgE formation. Furthermore, an undialyzable fraction of the water extract with a relative molecular mass of more than 50,000 d, designated as MSIS, showed the most potent inhibitory activity on IgE formation.

MSIS was also a potent inhibitor of IgE formation when given intraperitoneally or intranasally to mice the day before injection of dinitrophenyl (DNP)-ovalbumin (OVA) antigen in both the primary and secondary immune responses. Moreover, MSIS clearly sup pressed on-going IgE antibody formation in both pri mary and secondary immune responses.

Key words

Miscanthus sinensis - Gramineae - IgE antibody - passive cutaneous anaphylaxis test

PDF (308 kb)