Interleukin-2 production by peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) treated with gynura procumbens ethanolic extract / Noorazalini Rahim

Gynura procumbens from the family of Compositae are widely distributed through South East Asia particularly in Indonesia, Thailand, and Malaysia. It is routinely used by folk as traditional medicine to treat various diseases such as cancer, eruptive fever, diabetes mellitus and hypertension. Previous study on G. procumbens shows it immunomodulatory activity on proliferation of T-cell and B-cell but lack study done on its ability to modulate the cytokine production particularly interleukin-2. Thus the aim of this study is investigate the effect of G.procumbens ethanolic extract (GPEE) on the expression of interleukin-2 (IL-2). Phytochemical screening was first done on the GPEE to detect the presence of flavonoid, saponins, tannins, terpenoids and anthraquinones. Peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) was used to study the effect of GPEE on the expression of IL-2. The production of IL-2 were evaluated in the cell with or without treatment of GPEE. CLI-095, a specific Toll-Like Receptor 4 (TLR4) inhibitor were used to determine whether the activity of GPEE are through TLR4 signaling pathway or not. The present of endotoxin in the extract that contributes to its immunomodullatory activity were evaluated by polymixin-B (PMB), an endotoxin inhibitor. GPEE were found to contain flavonoid, saponins, tannins, and terpenoids but lack in anthraquinones. It also increased the production IL-2 by PBMC. The co-treatment of PBMC with CLI-095 and PMB do not inhibit the production of IL-2 by PBMC. G. procumbens shows imunomodulltory activity by enhancing the expression of IL-2 independent of TLR4 pathway and contamination of endotoxin. This finding provide an insight to the role of G.procumbens in stimulating immune system which could be potential as a new therapeutic strategy.