Potential Application of Plant-Based Functional Foods in the Development of Immune Boosters

Abstract

Immune dysfunction, which is responsible for the development of human diseases including cancer, is caused by a variety of factors. Therefore, regulation of the factors influencing the immune response is a potentially effective strategy to counter diseases. Presently, several immune adjuvants are used in clinical practice to enhance the immune response and host defense ability; however, synthetic drugs can exert negative side effects. Thus, the search for natural products of plant origin as new leads for the development of potent and safe immune boosters is gaining considerable research interest. Plant-based functional foods have been shown to exert several immunomodulatory effects in humans; therefore, the application of new agents to enhance immunological and specific host defenses is a promising approach. In this comprehensive review, we have provided an up-to-date report on the use as well as the known and potential mechanisms of bioactive compounds obtained from plant-based functional foods as natural immune boosters. Plant-based bioactive compounds promote immunity through multiple mechanisms, including influencing the immune organs, cellular immunity, humoral immunity, nonspecific immunity, and immune-related signal transduction pathways. Enhancement of the immune response in a natural manner represents an excellent prospect for disease prevention and treatment and is worthy of further research and development using approaches of modern science and technology.

Understanding immune-modulatory efficacy in vitro

“…To perform the assay, cDNA is prepared from each experimental set as described before and then amplified by using incorporation of SYBR green. Relative expression of specific genes can be calculated using 2− ΔΔ CT method [ 9 , 17 , 18 , 40 , 74 , 99 , 101 , 105 ].…”

“…The cells treated with sample in absence of antibody and the cells without any treatment are used as control groups. Then the activities of treated macrophages can be determined in terms of NO production in culture supernatant [ 9 , 63 , 99 ].…”

“…Currently, there is a greater interest in natural compounds, such as dietary supplement and herbal remedies, which have been used for centuries as immune-modulators. Marine sources with diverse constituents (sulphated polysaccharide, terpenes, cyclic depsipeptide, polysaccharides, bioglycan, polyhydroxylated lactone, macrocyclic lactones, cyclic tripeptide) and medicinal plants with various active components (flavonoids, curcumin, saponin, carotenoids, alkaloid, tannic acid, tocopherol, polyphenol, ascorbate, polysaccharides) have proved their innate immune boosting abilities [ 8 , 9 ]. Fungi have also emerged as potential source of body defence enhancers where polysaccharides (in particular β-D-glucans), polysaccharopeptides and proteins have been recognized as bioactive compounds.…”

The Effects of Eggs in a Plant-Based Diet on Oxidative Stress and Inflammation in Metabolic Syndrome

“…Plant-based diets (PBDs), through their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, may reduce the development and progression of MetS [6]. There is convincing evidence that PBDs modulate immunological and inflammatory processes [7,8]. The effect may vary depending on the definition of vegetarianism and the individual nutrient components included in each [9].…”

New insights explain that organic agriculture as sustainable agriculture enhances the sustainable development of medicinal plants

“…Furthermore, medicinal plants are also frequently used as dietary supplements, which greatly impact human health (Yao et al, 2018;Chen et al, 2021). They are extensively consumed as foods due to their bioactive constituents and health benefits (Jiang et al, 2021). World Health Organization has estimated that the global trade of medicinal plants and their derivatives will increase to $50 trillion by 2050 (Chen et al, 2021).…”