Evaluating the potential mediating effects of Tinospora cordifolia (TC) extracts on microglial phagocytosis is necessary to research on the therapeutic efficacy of this rarely studied plant on neurodegenerative diseases associated with underregulated microglial phagocytic activity. Research has demonstrated the extract’s impact on human neutrophil cells; however, experiments are still in need to include microglia, immune cells in the central nervous system that are tightly bound with various diseases. This research used the Trypan Blue exclusion test to evaluate the cytotoxicity of TC dry seed water extract’s influence on the viability of mouse microglia Bv2 cells, and adopted pH-sensitive fluorescent microspheres to evaluate the impact of various concentrations of TC extract on the phagocytic activity of microglia as measured by relative fluorescent units. Results indicate that 0.1 μg/ml – 1.0 μg/ml TC dry seed water extract did not show significant effects on both cell viability and microglial phagocytosis, while 2.0 μg/ml TC dry seed water extract demonstrated the ability to reduce microglial phagocytosis without exhibiting influential cytotoxicity. 5.0 μg/ml TC dry seed water extract revealed strong cytotoxicity and was therefore not tested subsequently. In conclusion, 2.0 μg/ml TC dry seed water extract serves as a potential agent for managing the phagocytic activity of microglia under inflammation, and therefore may be experimented with for further medical use.
Research Article
Open Access