6.3 Immunomodulatory Plants
6.3.1 Acacia Catechu/Senegalia Catechu
(Family: (Fabaceae))
This plant commonly known as Cutch Tree, Black Catechu, Cachou, found in Asia.
The heartwood and bark are used in traditional medicine to treat sore throat and
diarrhea. Several bioactive compounds are isolated from A. catechu like free radical
scavenging catechin (polyhydroxylated benzoic acid), rutin, isorhamnetin
(Li et al. 2011), and other compounds like epicatechin, epicatechin-3-O-gallate,
epigallocatechin-3-O-gallate (Stohs and Bagchi 2015), 4-hydroxybenzoic acid,
ophioglonin, quercetin, afzelechin, kaempferol, 3,4,7-trihydroxyl-3,5-dimethoxyflavone, epiafzelechin, mesquitol, aromadendrin, and phenol (Li et al. 2010). Naik
et al. (2003) demonstrated that the aqueous extracts of A. catechu, in rat liver
microsomal preparation, could inhibit radiation-induced lipid peroxidation.
Flavonoids isolated from A. catechu reduce the production of pro-inflammatory
eicosanoids (Burnett et al. 2007). Of note, 70% methanolic extracts of A. catechu is
found to have DNA protective properties. The acetone, ethyl acetate, and
methanolic extracts of the heartwood, leaves, and bark of A. catechu not only
scavenges free radicals but also protects DNA against strand breaks (Guleria et al.
2011) and has antimicrobial properties (Negi and Dave 2010). A. catechu shows its
immunomodulatory effect on both cell-mediated and humoral immunity. The
aqueous extract of A. catechu exhibited an increase in the neutrophil adhesion to the
nylon fibers, produced a significant increase in the phagocytic index, and significant
protection against cyclophosphamide-induced neutropenia indicating its effect on
cell-mediated immunity. A. catechu extract produced a significant increase in the
serum immunoglobulin levels, an increase in the hemagglutination titer values, and
a decrease in the mortality ratio in mice, suggesting enhanced humoral immunity
(Ismail and Asad 2009).
Methanolic and hexane extracts of A. catechu bark have reported for antiproliferative, cytotoxic, and anticancer properties against various cancer cell lines but
do not show any effect on human peripheral lymphocytes (Nadumane and Nair
2011). Methanolic extract of A. catechu heartwood exhibited cytotoxic activity in
breast cancer cell line MCF-7, which is due to the enhancement in Bax/Bcl2 ratio
leading to the activation of caspases and subsequent cleavage of polyadeno ribose
polymerase (Ghate et al. 2014). The aqueous extracts of heartwood also show
antidiabetic and antinociceptive action in a dose-dependent manner (Rahmatullah
et al. 2013). Various extract of A. catechu has a chemo-protective role in chemical
(carbon tetrachloride, t-butyl hydrogen peroxide, 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene,
DMBA) induced hepatocytic damage, breast and squamous cells cancers (Monga
et al. 2011).
The bark extracts of A. catechu showed potent anti-HIV effects, owing to its
effect on viral protease and via hampering the interaction of Viral Tat protein to its
HIV-1 promoter sequence of LTR (Modi et al. 2013). The antiviral compounds
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235
6.3.1 Acacia Catechu/Senegalia Catechu
(Family: (Fabaceae))
This plant commonly known as Cutch Tree, Black Catechu, Cachou, found in Asia.
The heartwood and bark are used in traditional medicine to treat sore throat and
diarrhea. Several bioactive compounds are isolated from A. catechu like free radical
scavenging catechin (polyhydroxylated benzoic acid), rutin, isorhamnetin
(Li et al. 2011), and other compounds like epicatechin, epicatechin-3-O-gallate,
epigallocatechin-3-O-gallate (Stohs and Bagchi 2015), 4-hydroxybenzoic acid,
ophioglonin, quercetin, afzelechin, kaempferol, 3,4,7-trihydroxyl-3,5-dimethoxyflavone, epiafzelechin, mesquitol, aromadendrin, and phenol (Li et al. 2010). Naik
et al. (2003) demonstrated that the aqueous extracts of A. catechu, in rat liver
microsomal preparation, could inhibit radiation-induced lipid peroxidation.
Flavonoids isolated from A. catechu reduce the production of pro-inflammatory
eicosanoids (Burnett et al. 2007). Of note, 70% methanolic extracts of A. catechu is
found to have DNA protective properties. The acetone, ethyl acetate, and
methanolic extracts of the heartwood, leaves, and bark of A. catechu not only
scavenges free radicals but also protects DNA against strand breaks (Guleria et al.
2011) and has antimicrobial properties (Negi and Dave 2010). A. catechu shows its
immunomodulatory effect on both cell-mediated and humoral immunity. The
aqueous extract of A. catechu exhibited an increase in the neutrophil adhesion to the
nylon fibers, produced a significant increase in the phagocytic index, and significant
protection against cyclophosphamide-induced neutropenia indicating its effect on
cell-mediated immunity. A. catechu extract produced a significant increase in the
serum immunoglobulin levels, an increase in the hemagglutination titer values, and
a decrease in the mortality ratio in mice, suggesting enhanced humoral immunity
(Ismail and Asad 2009).
Methanolic and hexane extracts of A. catechu bark have reported for antiproliferative, cytotoxic, and anticancer properties against various cancer cell lines but
do not show any effect on human peripheral lymphocytes (Nadumane and Nair
2011). Methanolic extract of A. catechu heartwood exhibited cytotoxic activity in
breast cancer cell line MCF-7, which is due to the enhancement in Bax/Bcl2 ratio
leading to the activation of caspases and subsequent cleavage of polyadeno ribose
polymerase (Ghate et al. 2014). The aqueous extracts of heartwood also show
antidiabetic and antinociceptive action in a dose-dependent manner (Rahmatullah
et al. 2013). Various extract of A. catechu has a chemo-protective role in chemical
(carbon tetrachloride, t-butyl hydrogen peroxide, 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene,
DMBA) induced hepatocytic damage, breast and squamous cells cancers (Monga
et al. 2011).
The bark extracts of A. catechu showed potent anti-HIV effects, owing to its
effect on viral protease and via hampering the interaction of Viral Tat protein to its
HIV-1 promoter sequence of LTR (Modi et al. 2013). The antiviral compounds
6 Natural Compounds Extracted from Medicinal Plants …
235