Zingiber cassumunar Roxb. (bangle) has a variety of active compounds, including curcumin and phenylbutenoid. Bangle rhizoma reported exhibiting immunomodulatory activities. This research aims to determine the mechanism of bangle extract as an immunomodulator by the secretion of Reactive Oxygen Intermediate (ROI), Nitric Oxide (NO), and interleukin (IL-10 and IL-14) expression level. Bangle extract (Zingiber cassumunar Roxb.) was made by the maceration method using 96% ethanol solvent. This research was administered in vitro using macrophage cells from male mice with Balb/C strain divided into 2 groups: normal control and treatment group (receiving 25, 50, and 100 ppm of extract). The administration of bangle extract can function as an immunomodulator by an increase of ROI in 25 and 50 ppm of the extract significantly than the control group (p <0.05), the treatment groups decrease NO level (p <0.05), it also was found to increase expression of IL-10 and IL-14 expression levels (p <0.05). Zingiber cassumunar Roxb. extract was potentially to be developed as an immunomodulator.

Immunomodulators are pharmacological agents that affect the immune system at different levels. Aside from modulating, some immunomodulators stimulate, while some others inhibit immune responses. Zingiber cassumunar Roxb. or Bengle rhizoma has been reported to exhibit immunomodulatory activities. This research was intended to determine the pharmacological effects of its extract on the phagocytic activity of macrophages and lymphocyte proliferation in vitro. It used the macrophages and lymphocytes of male BALB/c mice, which were divided into normal control and treatment group (receiving 25, 50, and 100 ppm of extract). The immunomodulatory activity test results showed that 100 ppm of Bengle rhizoma extract reduced phagocytosis in macrophages much significantly than the control group and that the treatment groups suppressed the proliferation of lymphocytes more substantially than the control group. The extract decreased the phagocytic activity of macrophages and the proliferation capacity of lymphocytes when administered at a concentration of 100 ppm.