Week 4: Immunomodulators

Question 1

What are immunostimulants?

Answer 1

Agents that:

• increase the activity of the immune system
• fortify the body’s response to invasion by a pathogen
• heating, stimulating, and drying

Question 2

What are the main mechanisms of immunostimulants?

Answer 2

Increased phagocytosis
increased production of white blood cells
moderation of various cytokines

Question 3

What are immunomodulators?

Answer 3

Agents that:

• have a tonifying effect on the immune system
• are gradual in their action
• “cool” or downregulate immune hyperfunction
• fortify the immune system without overstimulation

Question 4

Echinacea spp.

Answer 4

Family: Asteraceae
Energetics: Cooling, Drying, Stimulating

Actions: immunostimulator, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, stimulates leukocytes, inhibits hyaluronidase, enhances phagocytosis, lymphagogue, vulnerary

Constituents: Caffeic acid ester – echinacoside, polysaccharides: fucogalactoxyloglucans and arabingalactan, alkylamides, volitile oil, echinolone, caffeic acid. E. purpurea root contains traces of pyrrolizidine alkaloids.

Question 5

Echinacea spp.

Answer 5

Indications: Infection, sepsis, pharyngitis, prevention of upper respiratory infections, snake bites, ulcers

Contraindications: avoid use in inflammatory autoimmune diseases.

Question 6

Specific Medicinal Uses: Echinacea purpurea

Answer 6

Compared to Stillingia with lymphagogue properties

30% alcohol tincture.

Question 7

Specific Medicinal Uses: Echinacea angustifolia

Answer 7

Septicemia.

80% alcohol tincture.

Question 8

Specific Medicinal Uses: Echinacea pallida

Answer 8

Root used for supportive therapy in influenza infection.

Question 9

Eupatorium perfoliatum

Answer 9

Family: Asteraceae
Energetics: Cooling, Drying, Earthy

Actions: Stimulating diaphoretic, cholegogue and choleretic, diuretic, antispasmodic

Part Used: Aerial part in bud or flower
Constituents: sesquiterpene lactones, diterpenes, triterpenes, bitter glucosides

Question 10

Indications/Contraindications: Eupatorium perfoliatum

Answer 10

Indications: flu-like illnesses with pain that sets into the bone

Contraindications: Allergic hypersensitivity resulting in contact dermatitis, pregnancy

Question 11

Astragalus membranaceus (Chinese Name: Háung Qí)

Answer 11

Family: Fabaceae
Part Used: Root
Energetics: mildly warming

Actions: “Augments the protective qi and stabilizes the exterior.”5 Immunomodoulating, promotes tissue regeneration, anti-inflammatory, anti-viral, cardiotonic, helps preserve WBC counts in chemotherapy, hepatoprotective.

Question 12

Indications/CIs: Astragalus membranaceus

Chinese Name: Háung Qí

Answer 12

Indications: A gentle builder for those with low vitality. It is used for those who are prone to frequent infections, and for those with weak tissues and/or poor digestion. A good herb for children.

Contraindications:

• maybe autoimmune conditions due to immuno-stimulating polysaccharides.
• Antagonizes cyclosphosphamide (transplant rejection drug and lymphomas and leukemias)

Question 13

Sambucus nigra

Answer 13

Family: Caprifoliaceae
Part Used: flower, berry
Energetics: relaxing

Actions:
Berries – antiviral, immunostimulant
Flowers – diaphoretic, diuretic, expectorant, nervine

Constituents:

• Berries - anthocyanins: cyanidin 3-glu- coside and cyanidin 3-sambuboside
• Flowers – flavonol glycosides, chlorogenic acid, triterpenes

Question 14

Indications/CIs: Sambucus nigra

Answer 14

Indications: influenza, colds, cough

Contraindications: the unripe fruit, seeds, bark, leaves and root can cause diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, dizziness, tachicardia and convulsions.

Question 15

Baptisia tinctora – Wild Indigo

Answer 15

Family: Fabaceae
Part Used: Root
Energetics: Cooling

Actions: Immunostimulant, antimicrobial, febrifuge

Constituents: alkaliods: baptitoxin, isoflavones, flavonoids, coumarins, polysaccharides

Question 16

Indications, CIs & Toxicity: Baptisia tinctora – Wild Indigo

Answer 16

Indications: infections, protracted fever with severely depressed vital force, ulceration of tissue.

Contraindications: Pregnancy

Toxicity: Large doses are toxic due to phenolic glycosides and alkaloids – 30g induces signs of toxicity2

Question 17

Andrographis paniculata – Kalmegh

Chuān Xīn Lián 穿心蓮

Answer 17

Family: Acanthaceae
Part Used: aerial parts
Energetics: bitter and cooling

Actions: bacteriostatic, virostatic, antipyretic, bitter, antihypertensive, antihyperglycemic, hepatoprotective

Constituents: lactones- deoxyandrographolide, andrographolide, neoandrographolide, and 14-deoxy-11,12-didehydroandrographolide

Question 18

Indications/CIs: Andrographis paniculata – Kalmegh

Chuān Xīn Lián 穿心蓮

Answer 18

Indications: upper respiratory infections, dysentery, gipe of infancy, topically for snake bites

Contraindications: Pregnancy

Chinese Materia Medica: Clears and relieves fire toxicity, dries dampness

Question 19

Trametes versicolor – Turkey Tail

Mushroom

Answer 19

Phyllum: Basidiomycota
Family: Polyporaceae
Part Used: Fruiting Body

Energetics: Sweet and warming, clears dampness

Actions: increases phagocytosis, increases NK response to lethal CMV, increases interferon, free radical scavenger – particular effects with chemotherapy, increases survival of in cancer patients, helps stabilize WBC counts in chemotherapy patients.

Constituents: Beta-sitosterol; triterpenoids, Polysaccharide K (PSK, Krestin), Polysaccharide P (Coriolan)

Question 20

Indications/CIs: Trametes versicolor – Turkey Tail

Answer 20

Indications: taken with chemotherapy to decrease side effects and provide immune support, stabilizes WBC counts

Contraindications: unknown effects in pregnancy and lactation

Question 21

Grifola frondosa - Maitake

Answer 21

Phyllum: Basidiomycota
Family: Meripilaceae
Part Used: Fruiting Body
Energetics: bland, mild

Actions: Anticancer, immunomodulating, antiviral (HIV, HSV, HBV), antimicrobial, antidiabetic, antioxidant

Constituents: Polysaccharides – beta-1,3 glucan, beta-1,6 glucan, beta-D-glucan; N-acetylgalactosamine-specific lectin; amino acids; grifolin, grifolan

Question 22

Indications: Grifola frondosa - Maitake

Answer 22

Indications: Immune support during chemotherapy, cancer prevention, diabetes, hypertension

Question 23

Ganoderma lucidum – Reishi, Ling-Zhi

Answer 23

Phylum: Basidiomycota
Family: Ganodermataceae
Part Used: fruiting body

Actions: Antiallergic action of triterpenes, ganoderan is anti-hypertensive, oleic acid inhibits histamine release, hypotensive, decreases platelet aggregation, decreases LDL, decreases arrhythmia, decreases insomnia, decreases angina, protects against ionizing radiation,

Constituents: Triterpenes – gandermic acid, ganoderic acid; Polysaccharides – ganoderan A, B, C, beta-D-glucans, D-6 glucans; Adenosine; oleic acid

Question 24

Indications/CIs: Ganoderma lucidum – Reishi, Ling-Zhi

Answer 24

Indications: used in cancer treatment to increase immune function and help treat fatigue, hypertension, immune deficiency, insomnia, hepatitis

Contraindications: potential allergy to spores