Enhancement of Immunological Activities in Mice by Oral Administration of Pectic Polysaccharides from Eleutherococcus senticosus

Enhancement of Immunological Activities in Mice by Oral Administration of Pectic Polysaccharides from Eleutherococcus senticosus

Ability of pectic polysaccharides isolated from Eleutherococcus senticosus EN-3 to inhibit tumor metastasis and induce antigen-specific immune response after oral administration in mice was assessed. Consecutive oral administration of EN-3 before tumor inoculation dramatically inhibited tumor metastasis produced by colon26-M3.1 and B16-BL6 cells. When Peyer's patch cells isolated from mouse intestine were co-cultured with EN-3, proliferation of Peyer's patch cells was induced. Mice co-administered with EN-3 and ovalbumin (OVA) showed significantly higher production of OVA-specific IgA in intestinal washing as well as IgG in serum than those administered with OVA alone. Payer's patch cells of mice immunized with OVA plus EN-3 showed much higher proliferating activity than those of mice immunized with OVA alone. Proliferating activity increased dose-dependently, indicating EN-3 specifically enhanced mucosal immune response to OVA. These results suggested EN-3 could significantly stimulate Peyer's patch cells either non-specifically or antigen-specifically, possibly playing important role in enhancement of mucosal and systemic immune systems.