ABSTRACT
Strychnos nux-vomica Linn. (SNV; Loganiaceae), a medicinal plant has been used as folk medicine for alleviating inflammation, joint pains and allergic symptoms. In the present study, we examined its possible immunomodulatory effect on induction of ovalbumin (OVA)-specific IgE antibody response in a murine model, as evaluated by passive cutaneous anaphylaxis (PCA). The OVA-specific IgE antibody response was significantly suppressed in BALB/c mice (H-2d), following intraperitoneal administration of aqueous stem extract of the plant along with OVA. Furthermore, the different doses of SNV extract were found to significantly suppress the induction of OVA-specific IgE antibody response. The anti-OVA IgE antibody response was suppressed in different haplotypes of mice viz., C57BL/6 (H-2b) and SWR/J (H-29). However, preliminary findings revealed no significant change in the total IgG antibody response against OVA, as evaluated by ELISA. These results confirm the suppressive activity of S. nux-vomica on allergen-specific IgE antibody response and suggest its possible application in allergic conditions. Keywords: Strychnlos nux-vomica, Immunomodulation, Immunosuppression, IgE antibody response, Passive cutaneous anaphylaxis, ELISA