Evaluation of Ethanolic Extracts of Mullaca (Physalis Angulata L.) Herbs for Treatment of Lupus Disease in Mice Induced Pristane

Systemic lupus erythematosus is a systemic autoimmune disease characterized by multisystem inflammation due to immune complex deposits in the organs like kidneys, joints, pleura, skin, and so on. Physalisangulata known as mullaca, has been widely studied for its pharmacological activities such as antiinflammatory, immunosuppressive, cytotoxic, and also inhibition of organ rejection in transplantation. This study was directed to investigate the activities of P. angulata extract as an immunomodulatory agent. P. angulata powder was extracted by maceration with 70% of ethanol. An animal model of lupus was obtained by an injection 0.7 mL of pristane, i.p. Successful induction obtained in two weeks after injection which can be monitored by measuring total leukocyte count. For ensuring successful induction, another test was done four weeks and eight weeks after injection by detecting the presence of specific antinuclear antibodies using SDS PAGE method. Other measured parameters were including nonspecific immune response (measurement of total leukocyte count and differential leukocyte count), specific humoral immune response (hemagglutination test), specific cellular immune responses (delayed type hypersensitivity test), organ index and histology of kidney and spleen. As the results shown, ethanolic extract of Physalisangulata at dose of 1000 mg/kg BW orally, gave immunomodulatory effect in Lupus rat model. The extract worked primarily on specific immune response by lowering immune response near to the normal value, it was not suppressing immune response as prednisone.