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Effect of dietary rosemary extract on cell-mediated immunity of young rats

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Abstract

The impact of rosemary extract on splenic mononuclear cell proliferation was determined. Weanling male Sprague-Dawley rats were fed diets containing 0, 100, 200 or 400 ppm rosemary extract or 400 ppm butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) in combinatiion with 10 or 20% casein enriched diets for 8 weeks. Splenic mononuclear cells were isolated from these animals and mitogenic response to Concanavalin A (Con A), Phytohemagglutinin (PHA) and lipopolysaccharide was determined. Con A and PHA-stimulated proliferation of spleen cells from rats fed 10% casein and 200 ppm rosemary extract was significantly higher than that of cells from the corresponding control animals. However, other levels of rosemary at 10% dietary casein or rosemary at any concentration fed along with 20% dietary casein had no impact on the mitogenic stimulation of splenic mononuclear cells. Thus, these results suggest that the use of rosemary might not have a generalized immunoenhancing effect, and will probably be effective in some stressed conditions, such as protein or antioxidant deficiency.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Science and Applied Technology, Offices of Special Nutritionals, US Food and Drug Administration, Laurel, MD, 20708, USA

    U.S. Babu & P.L. Wiesenfeld

  2. Division of Science and Applied Technology, Offices of Food Labeling, US Food and Drug Administration, Laurel, MD, 20708, USA

    M.Y. Jenkins

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  1. U.S. Babu
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  2. P.L. Wiesenfeld
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  3. M.Y. Jenkins
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Babu, U., Wiesenfeld, P. & Jenkins, M. Effect of dietary rosemary extract on cell-mediated immunity of young rats. Plant Foods Hum Nutr 53, 169–174 (1998). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1008040324935

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1008040324935

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