
In Vivo Studies On The Immunomodulatory Potential Of Aqueous Oat Extracts
887-891
Correspondence
Bhatia A. : Professor, Department of Biotechnology, Punjabi University, Patiala, India, 147002.e-mail: aruna_bhatia@rediffmail.com
A number of studies have been carried out to screen plants for their medicinal potential and isolate bioactive chemical compounds, but only a few studies have been done to find out the immunomodulatory potential of plants. Beta-glucan, one of the chemical constituents of fungi, has been shown to be an immunopotentiating agent. Beta-glucan has been reported to be found in cereals. Hence, in the present study, attempts have been made to evaluate the immunomodulatory potential of oat, a cereal containing beta-glucan. Aqueous extracts of seeds and leaves of oat were evaluated in-vivo in swiss albino mice for their immunomodulatory potential. Nitro Blue Tetrazolium reduction (NBT), Inducible Nitric Oxide Synthase (INOS), Phagocytosis (bactericidal activity) and ELISA were various tests employed to assess the effect of oat extracts on the immune status of animals. The results revealed that both the aqueous oat seed extract, as well as its leaf extract were immunopotentiating, the former being more bioactive.