Ambwani, SonuNaik, M Vamsi Chandra2024-11-292024-11-292023-09-01Academic Researchhttps://krishikosh.egranth.ac.in/handle/1/5810216745Traditional herbal immunomodulation has a long-standing history in India and is increasingly recognized globally. However, the lack of comprehensive understanding regarding the specific molecular targets and mechanisms involved underscores the urgent requirement for rigorous scientific validation of the underlying processes responsible for herbal immunomodulation. Abutilon indicum (L.) Sweet under the family Malvaceae commonly called as ‘Country mallow’ (English), ‘Kanghi’ (Hindi) and ‘Atibala’ (Sanskrit). The leaves are found to be good for ulcer, inflammatory conditions and as a fomentation to painful parts of the body. In the light of aforementioned information, the leaf extract of Abutilon indicum (AIE) was chosen for investigation in terms of its potential antioxidant and immunomodulatory effects using a chicken splenocytes culture system. AIE was subjected to various phytochemical analyses to identify its constituent compounds. To assess antioxidant activity, both in vitro assays and cell-based assays were conducted. The maximum non-cytotoxic dose (MNCD) of AIE was determined by giving in vitro exposure of varying concentrations to chicken splenocytes. This dose was further utilized to give in vitro exposure of AIE to chicken lymphocytes to explore its immunomodulatory and antioxidant potential through lymphocyte proliferation assay, cell based antioxidant assays and quantitative RT-PCR analysis to assess the expression of selected genes. The phytochemical analyses of AIE revealed the presence of various bioactive compounds viz, phenolics, falvonoids, tannins, alkaloids, saponins etc., responsible for conferring antioxidant property. AIE demonstrated significant antioxidant potential both in vitro and in the cell-based assays conducted. The LPA assay indicated that AIE possesses immunopotentiating effects. In terms of gene expression analyses, outcome of the study revealed that pro-inflammatory genes were downregulated, while antiinflammatory genes were notably upregulated. The NRF-2 gene, associated with cellular defense mechanisms, showed increased expression. However, there was a slight reduction in the transcription of the APAF-1 and CASPASE-3 genes, which are mediators of apoptosis. Thus, it can be concluded that the Abutilon indicum leaf extract possesses strong antioxidant, immunostimulatory and anti-inflammatory properties. The significant immunopotentiating and antioxidant potential displayed by the plant extract suggested its potential utility in the development of herbal preparations aimed at enhancing the immune system. However, it's crucial to emphasize that further systematic research is imperative. The characterization of the specific phytoconstituents present in the extract needs to be explored thoroughly. To validate the findings on a more comprehensive level, it is recommended to employ suitable biochemical and molecular biology techniques to analyze the effects at the protein level. (EnglishThesis