The effect of feeding mice during gestation and nursing with Rhodiola kirilowii extracts or epigallocatechin on CD4 and CD8 cells number and distribution in the spleen of their progeny

Phytochemical, Antibacterial and Antioxidant Activity Evaluation of Rhodiola crenulata

The chemical components, as well as the antibacterial and antioxidant activities of the essential oil (EO) and crude extracts prepared from Rhodiola crenulata were investigated. The essential oil was separated by hydrodistillation, and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) was used to identify its constituents. A total of twenty-seven compounds was identified from the EO, and its major components were 1-octanol (42.217%), geraniol (19.914%), and 6-methyl-5-hepten-2-ol (13.151%). Solvent extraction and fractionation were applied for preparing the ethanol extract (crude extract, CE), petroleum ether extract (PE), ethyl acetate extract (EE), n-butanol extract (BE), and water extract (WE). The CE, EE and BE were abundant in phenols and flavonoids, and EE had the highest total phenol and total flavonoid contents. Gallic acid, ethyl gallate, rosavin and herbacetin were identified in the EE. The antibacterial activity results showed that the EO exhibited moderate inhibitory activity to the typical clinic bacteria, and EE exhibited the strongest antibacterial activity among the five extracts. For the compounds, ethyl gallate showed the strongest inhibitory activity to the test bacteria, and its minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) value and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) value for all the tested bacteria was 0.24 mg/mL and 0.48 mg/mL, respectively. The results of antioxidant activity showed that both CE and EE exhibited strong antioxidant activities in the DPPH radical scavenging and Fe2+ reducing power tests, however, EO showed relatively weaker antioxidant ability. Ethyl gallate and rosavin exhibited excellent activity in the DPPH radical scavenging assay, and their IC50 value was 5.3 µg/mL and 5.9 µg/mL, respectively. Rosavin showed better reduction power activity than the other three compounds. These results could provide more evidence for the traditional use of R. crenulata, and would be helpful for improving its application further.

Supplementation of Plants with Immunomodulatory Properties during Pregnancy and Lactation-Maternal and Offspring Health Effects

A pregnant woman’s diet consists of many products, such as fruits, vegetables, cocoa, tea, chocolate, coffee, herbal and fruit teas, and various commercially available dietary supplements, which contain a high number of biological active plant-derived compounds. Generally, these compounds play beneficial roles in women’s health and the development of fetus health. There are, however, some authors who report that consuming excessive amounts of plants that contain high concentrations of polyphenols may negatively affect the development of the fetus and the offspring’s health. Important and problematic issues during pregnancy and lactation are bacterial infections treatment. In the treatment are proposals to use plant immunomodulators, which are generally considered safe for women and their offspring. Additional consumption of biologically active compounds from plants, however, may increase the risk of occurrences to irreversible changes in the offspring’s health. Therefore, it is necessary to carry out safety tests for immunomodulators before introducing them into a maternal diet. Here, we present data from animal experiments for the four most-studied plants immunomodulators genus: Rhodiola, Echinacea, Panax, and Camellia, which were used in maternal nutrition.

Administration of Rhodiola kirilowii Extracts during Mouse Pregnancy and Lactation Stimulates Innate but Not Adaptive Immunity of the Offspring

The use of antibiotics during pregnancy and lactation is associated with an increased risk of developmental disorders. One of the natural medicinal plants—Rhodiola kirilowii, widely used as an immunostimulant in adults—might be a good alternative to antibiotic treatment. The aim of present study was to assess whether daily oral administration of 20 mg/kg of Rhodiola kirilowii aqueous (RKW) or 50% hydroalcoholic (RKW-A) extracts affected hematological and immunological parameters of 6-week-old mouse progeny. There was no significant change in hematological parameters of blood with the exception of hemoglobin, which was significantly higher (about 4%) in RKW group. Offspring of mothers fed Rhodiola kirilowii extracts had increased percentage of granulocytes and decreased percentage of lymphocytes. These changes correlated with decreased percentage of CD3⁺/CD4⁺ T-cells (RKW and RKW-A), decrease of CD8⁺ cells, and increase percentage of NK cells in RKW group. In addition, both types of Rhodiola kirilowii extracts stimulated granulocyte phagocytosis and increased level of respiratory burst. In conclusion, the long-term supplementation of mouse mothers during pregnancy and lactation with RKW or RKW-A extracts affects the immune system of their progeny. These results should be taken into consideration before administration of Rhodiola kirilowii to pregnant and lactating women.