Chemical profiling with cytokine stimulating investigations of Sutherlandia frutescens L. R. (Br.) (Fabaceae)

Abstract

Sutherlandia frutescens, one of the medicinal plants of southern Africa, has been widely used to boost the immune system by various ethnic groups. This study aims to provide initial scientific evidence for in vitro immune modulating activities of extracts of S. frutescens on cytokines, including interleukins 4, 6, 8, 10, 12p70 and TNF produced by the HL60 cell lines, as well as to identify possible compounds present therein. This will assist in guiding further studies to an active compound. The chemical profile of extracts, fractions and compounds were determined using high performance liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry. Results from the initial in vitro experiments conducted indicated that extracts from S. frutescens possessed immune modulating as well as anti-inflammatory activities. This in vitro study showed that an ethanolic extract appeared to recruit the various inflammatory cytokines to the site of infection upon stimulation with phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate, where essentially the non-polar compounds present in the ethanol extract contributed to most of the activity observed for this extract.