Table 2 The immunomodulatory effects (expressed as fold-changes compared with untreated control) of AL extract, β-eudesmol, and atractylodin at the concentrations of 40, 20 and 10 μg/ml, on the expression levels of TNFα and IL6 in PBMCs compared with untreated control cells. Concanavalin A (Con A) alone (10 μg/ml) and dexamethasone (200 μM) were used to stimulate and inhibit (positive control) the inflammatory process in PBMCs. Data are presented as median (range) values of three independent experiments (triplicate each)

Untreated cells

1.00

1.00

Con A (10 μg/ml)

2.19 (1.99–2.23)

1.02 (0.99–1.05)

Dexamethasone (200 μm) + Con A (10 μg/ml)

0.60 (0.59–0.61)^b

0.33 (0.32–0.33)^b

AL (40 μg/ml) + Con A (10 μg/ml)

0.99 (0.98–1.00)^b

0.01 (0.009–0.012)^a

AL (20 μg/ml) + Con A (10 μg/ml)

1.65 (1.60–1.67)^c

0.12 (0.11–0.12)^a

AL (10 μg/ml) + Con A (10 μg/ml)

2.5 (2.49–2.51)

0.45 (0.43–0.49)^b

β -eudesmol (40 μg/ml) + Con A (10 μg/ml)

2.26 (2.24–2.27)

0.35 (0.34–0.36)^b

β -eudesmol (20 μg/ml) + Con A (10 μg/ml)

2.2 (2.21–2.23)

0.58 (0.56–0.58)^c

β -eudesmol (10 μg/ml) + Con A (10 μg/ml)

2.45 (2.31–2.54)

0.70 (0.69–0.71)^c

Atractylodin (40 μg/ml) + Con A (10 μg/ml)

3.46 (3.20–3.54)

0.77 (0.74–0.80^c

Atractylodin (20 μg/ml) + Con A (10 μg/ml)

1.96 (1.91–2.11)

1.94 (1.90–2.00)^d

Atractylodin (10 μg/ml) + Con A (10 μg/ml)

0.26 (0.23–0.26)^a

0.11 (0.09–0.12)^a