|
KMID : 1204320140300040161
|
|
Laboratory Animal Research
2014 Volume.30 No. 4 p.161 ~ p.168
|
|
|
Onion peel water extracts enhance immune status in forced swimming rat model
|
|
Lee Hyun-A
Han Sang-Jun
Hong Sun-Hwa
Kim Dong-Woo
Oh Gi-Wook
Kim Ok-Jin
|
|
|
Abstract
|
|
|
|
Onion peel contains a high concentration of quercetin and other flavonoids. In this study, the potential immune-enhancing effects of an onion peel water extract (OPE) supplement were investigated by the rat forced swimming test. OPE was prepared using hot water. Thirty-six male Sprague Dawley rats were fed a pellet diet for 1 week and were then randomly divided into six groups: normal control (NC), forced swimming control (FSC), positive control (quercetin 20 mg/kg), and three groups administered 4, 20, or 100 mg/kg of OPE. Oral drug administration was conducted daily for 4 weeks. All rats, except those of NC group, were forced to swim in water and were considered exhausted when they failed to rise to the water surface to breathe within a 7-s period. Blood lymphocyte counts, immune organ weights, histopathological analysis, and serum interferon (IFN)-γ, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, and interleukin (IL)-12 levels were determined. OPE-treated rats consumed more food and had an increased thymic cortex to medulla ratio than that observed in FSC group rats (P<0.05). The area of the white pulp in the spleens of OPE-treated group rats was increased compared with that in FSC group rats (P<0.05). Furthermore, blood lymphocyte numbers and IFN-γ, TNF-α, and IL-12 concentrations were significantly higher in OPE-fed groups than in FSC group (P<0.05). These results suggest that an OPE supplement can improve the immune status by increasing the number of immune-related cells and specific cytokine levels.
|
|
|
KEYWORD
|
|
|
Allium cepa, onion peel, water extract, immune stimulation, cytokines
|
|
|
FullTexts / Linksout information
|
|
|
|
|
|
Listed journal information
|
|
 
|
|