Immunomodulatory Activity of Methanol Extract of Asparagus racemosus

Asparagus racemosus, or Shatavari, is a medicinally important Ayurvedic plant whose traditional uses include immunomodulatory and rejuvenating effects. In the current study, immunomodulatory effect of methanol root extract of Asparagus racemosus (ArM) was screened by in vitro and in vivo experiments. Murine splenocytes proliferation was assessed by MTT assay following the effect of extract. Cytokine production (TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-10) was also examined using ELISA. Furthermore, ArM’s impact on peritoneal macrophage phagocytic activity was assessed. In vivo, the extract was orally given to mice, and its impact on DTH response, humoral antibody response, and splenocyte count was established. Results indicated that ArM highly stimulated splenocyte proliferation and increased pro-inflammatory (TNF-α, IL-6) and anti-inflammatory (IL-10) cytokine production in vitro. The extract also improved macrophage phagocytic activity. In vivo, ArM improved DTH reaction, increased serum immunoglobulin levels, and regulated the splenocyte population. These results demonstrate that methanol extract of Asparagus racemosus possesses strong immunomodulatory activity to prove its medicinal use as an immunoenhancer.