Immunomodulation Induced in BALB/c Mice after Subacute Exposure to Hydroalcoholic Extract of Artimisia Dracunculus.

Introduction: Tarragon, with the scientific name of Artemisia dracunculus, is a perennial herbaceous plant with a wide spectrum of pharmacologic properties. In the current investigation, BALB/c mice were used to examine the immunomodulatory effects of hydroalcoholic extract of tarragon (HET).

Methods: Mice were treated with hydroalcoholic extract of Artimisia dracunculus (HET) at two doses (250 and 500 mg/kg) for 14 days. The host hematological parameters, spleen cellularity histopathology, hemagglutination titer assay (HA), delayed-type hypersensitivity (DTH) responses, IFN-γ and IL-4 levels produced by spelenocytes, and the proliferation of lymphocytes were assayed.

Results: HET at a high dose significantly could increase the number of white blood cells and lymphocytes compared to the control group. The lymphocyte proliferation in exposure to PHA significantly increased in the HET group at both doses compared to the control group, whilst this index in the presence of LPS increased significantly for the 500 mg/kg-HET group only. Moreover, in the HA and DTH tests, HET significantly increased the proliferation of lymphocytes as compared with the control group. Furthermore, HET significantly increased the amount of IFN-γ parallel to a decrease in the level of IL-4 in compared to the control group.

Conclusion: Based on our findings, HET has potent immunostimulant characteristics. More investigation into tarragon's potential to be used in the treatment of disorders caused by a weakened immune response should be conducted.