Focus on Alternative and Complementary Therapies
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Focus Alternat Complement Ther©2005 Pharmaceutical Press
Focus Altern Complement Ther 2006; 11: 25
The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of a 7-day intake of willow bark extract (WBE) on the human immune system.
Twelve healthy volunteers received willow-bark whole plant extract BNO 1455, standardised to 240 mg salicin/day (WBE) for 7 days. We measured Tx-B2, PGE2, Elastase, TNF-α, IL-6, IL-10, INF-γ, IL-8 and MCP-1 in leukocyte-cultures after appropriate stimulation before, during and in 5-day follow-up (main study). Before the main study, we performed a controlled prestudy with six volunteers: three with single intake of 75 mg diclofenac, three with 240 mg WBE.
In contrast to the diclofenac group in the prestudy (with clear inhibition of COX-1/-2), the WBE group showed no decrease in COX-1/-2 activity or inducibility but a diverse response with marked increase in TNF-α, INF-γ and elastase levels and a decrease in IL-10 and MCP-1 during the first day of intake of WBE. An increased level of PGE2 was detected at the end of the week-long medication period. No significant effect of WBE was observed for IL-6 and IL-8. Except for COX-1/-2-inhibition by diclofenac, all parameters showed substantial intersubject variability. The clinical effects shown in earlier reported clinical trials are unexplained by this result.
The intake of WBE could not induce any significant change in the assessed immunological parameters, known to resemble clinical analgetic or antipyretic effects. The broad intervariability of the results may indicate immunomodulatory effects of WBE.
This study was supported by Bionorica AG, Neumarkt i.d.Opf., Germany.
