Short communication. Enhancement of the immune responses to vaccination against foot-and-mouth disease in mice by oral administration of Quillaja saponaria-A and extracts of Cochinchina momordica seed

Abstract

This study was designed to evaluate the effects of oral administration of extracts from Cochinchina momordica seed (ECMS) or Quillaja saponaria-A (Quil-A) on the immune responses in mice immunized with foot and mouth disease virus (FMDV)-serotype O vaccine. Forty-two imprinting control region (ICR) mice were randomly divided into seven groups of 6 animals in each group, and a dose of 400 μg of Quil-A or ECMS was orally administered for 1, 2 or 3 days. After that, the animals were subcutaneously immunized twice with FMD vaccine at 3-week intervals and blood samples were collected 2-weeks after boosting for measurement of FMDV-specific IgG and its subclasses. Spleens were collected for lymphocytes proliferation assay. Results indicated that serum FMDV-specific IgG and the IgG subclass responses were significantly enhanced in mice orally administered ECMS or Quil-A when compared with the control group (p<0.05). Lymphocytes proliferation response to FMD vaccine was significantly enhanced by ECMS compared with the control (p < 0.05). This study illustrates that ECMS induced immunomodulatory effects and performed better than Quil-A.