Immunostimulating activity of celosian, an antihepatotoxic polysaccharide isolated from Celosia argentea

Celosian, an acidic polysaccharide from the seeds of Celosia argentea (Amaranthaceae) was found to be a potent antihepatotoxic agent for chemical and immunological liver injury models in animals. The immunomodulating action of celosian was studied to clarify the preventive mechanism of celosian on liver injuries. Celosian induced tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) production in mice. Celosian also induced the production of interleukin-1 beta (IL-1 beta) and nitric oxide (NO) in macrophage cell line J774.1 in a concentration-dependent manner (1 to 1000 mu g/ml). Moreover, celosian induced IL-1 beta secretion in human mononuclear cells. In addition, celosian enhanced gamma interferon (IFN-gamma) production activity of concanavalin A (Con A) in mice spleen cells, though celosian alone did not significantly influence IFN-gamma production. These results indicate that celosian is an immunostimulating agent in addition to antihepatotoxic effects.