Fitoterapia. 2001 Nov; 72(7): 802-6.

Effect of Mahonia aquifolium stem bark crude extract and one of its polysaccharide components on production of IL-8.

Kost'Ã¡lovÃ¡ D, KardosovÃ¡ A, HajnickÃ¡ V.

Department of Pharmacognosy and Botany, Faculty of Pharmacy, Comenius University, SK-823 32 3, Bratislava, Slovakia. kostalova@fpharm.uniba.sk

The crude hydroalcoholic extract of Mahonia aquifolium stem bark and a polysaccharide isolated from the extract were tested for their activity on interleukin-8 (IL-8) production by human monocytic cell line THP-1. The crude extract partly inhibited the IL-8 spontaneous production after 48-h treatment of the cells, while the polysaccharide was found to be a potent inducer of IL-8 production.