Efeito imunomodulatório do extrato etanólico das folhas de Thuja occidentalis adsorvido a microesferas de polietilenoglicol

Abstract

The use of medicinal plants is part of the cultural habits of a nation. Difficulties in accessing healthcare contribute to the search for natural therapies that are more accessible to the population. On the other hand, medicinal plants have been the subject of research in an attempt to discover new active principles for therapeutic purposes in various pathologies. Thuja occidentalis is a plant belonging to the Cupressaceae family, native to Europe, known as the tree of life or white cedar. It has pharmacological properties and has been used as a tincture in homeopathic preparations to treat various diseases: bronchial catarrh, enuresis, cystitis, psoriasis, uterine carcinomas, amenorrhea, rheumatism, warts and also as an adjuvant antibiotic and immunostimulant. Given the inherent potential attributed to medicinal plants, the study of pharmacotechnical adjuvants and delivery systems that promote greater efficacy of plant extracts has been a viable alternative. Among these systems, there are polyethylene glycol microspheres that promote changes in the release parameters of adsorbed compounds, improving their biodistribution. Thus, the objective of this work was to evaluate the immunomodulatory effect of the ethanolic extract of Thuja occidentalis leaves adsorbed to polyethylene glycol mycospheres on human peripheral blood mononuclear cells and the rheological behavior of the blood. The results showed that the ethanolic extract presented a non Newtonian rheological behavior with thixotropy, common among plant extracts. PEG microspheres promoted changes in the shear rate and blood viscosity, such changes were attributed to the increase in water volume in the samples and lack of interaction with blood cells. After adsorption, the PEG microspheres did not alter the rheological patterns of the blood, which were compatible with those of normal blood. The phagocytosis index and microbicidal activity assay showed higher values for the groups stimulated with Thuja occidentalis and with Thuja/PEG microsphere, proving that PEG microspheres without the efficiency of the plant's therapy before and after its placement with the extract adsorbed did not show relevant values of phagocytosis index and microbicidal activity.