Immunostimulating activity of crude polysaccharide extract isolated from Curcuma xanthorrhiza Roxb.

Curcuma xanthorrhiza Roxb., commonly known as Javanese turmeric, has been reported to possess a variety of biological activities, including anti-inflammatory effects, anticarcinogenic effects, wound healing effects, and serum cholesterol-lowering effects. CPE, crude polysaccharide extract isolated from the rhizome of C. xanthorrhiza using 0.1 N NaOH, consisted of arabinose (18.69%), galactose (14.0%), glucose (50.67%), mannose (12.97%), rhamnose (2.73%), and xylose (0.94%), with an average molecular weight of 33,000 Da. In the present study, we investigated the effect of CPE on nitric oxide (NO), hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), and prostaglandin E₂ (PGE₂) production in RAW 264.7 cells. The uptake of fluorescein-labeled Escherichia coli was measured to determine whether CPE stimulates the phagocytic activity of RAW 264.7 cells. CPE significantly increased the phagocytosis of macrophages and the release of NO, H₂O₂, TNF-α, and PGE₂ in a dose-dependent manner, and showed a similar activity to lipopolysaccharide (LPS). To study the mechanisms of CPE, we examined induction of iNOS and COX-2. NO and PGE₂ were produced as a result of stimulation of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) respectively. Both modulations of iNOS and COX-2 expression by CPE were evaluated by Western immunoblotting and RT-PCR. Since transcription of these enzymes is under the control of nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB), we assessed the phosphorylation of inhibitor κBα (IκBα) through Western immunoblotting. CPE clearly induced phosphorylation of IκBα, suggesting a role as an NF-κB activator. Taking all this together, we conclude that CPE isolated from Curcuma xanthorrhiza stimulates the immune functions of macrophages, which is mediated in part by specific activation of NF-κB.