Mouse Phagocyte-stimulating Substances from Seaweeds and Herbs

Abstract

Substances from 9 edible seaweeds and 8 medicinal herbs, which have been traditionally prescribed in Japan as medicative materials, were screened for stimulating phagocytes by measuring the carbon clearance activity in mice after intraperitoneal injection. Among the tested seaweeds, the ethanol-insoluble fraction of a hot-water extract from Gracilaria verrucosa augmented the in vivo phagocytic activity. Among the herbs, we also found this effect from the ethanol-insoluble fraction of a hot-water extract from Actinidia polygama, and from both the ethanol-insoluble and ethanol-soluble fractions of a hot-water extract from Polygonatum odoratum.