Effect of Glycyrrhiza uralensis Fisch polysaccharide on growth performance and immunologic function in mice in Ural City, Xinjiang.

OBJECTIVE: To discuss the effect of Glycyrrhiza uralensis (G. uralensis) Fisch polysaccharide on growth performance and immunologic function in mice in Ural City, Xinjiang and to provide important data supporting the application of Glycyrrhiza polysaccharide.

METHODS: A total of 100 Kunming mice aged 3 weeks old were randomly divided into 5 groups with 20 mice in each group (10 were females and 10 were males). About 0.5 mL normal saline was given to the mice of control group every day and 0.5 mL G. uralensis Fisch polysaccharide was given to the mice of other groups at the concentration of 1, 20, 50 and 100 mg/mL, respectively. The growth performance (average body weight, average daily feed intake and feed efficiency), immune organ indexes (spleen index and thymus index) and immunologic function (serum IL-2, CD4+ /CD8+ and the activity of NK cells) of mice in each group were detected continuously.

RESULTS: The average body weight, feed efficiency, serum IL-2, CD4+ /CD8+ and the activity of NK cells of mice were increased with the increase of administrated time after administrating G. uralensis Fisch polysaccharide and were reached up the largest level on Day 28. At the same time, each index was proportional to the given dose and was significantly higher than those of control group and reached up the largest level at the administrated dose of 100 mg/mL. After administrating G. uralensis Fisch polysaccharide, the spleen index and thymus index of mice were increased with the increase of administrated dose and the spleen index and thymus index of mice administrated with the dose of 100 mg/mL were maximum which was more than 1.51 times and 1.43 times of that in control group, respectively and the comparative differences showed statistical significance (P < 0.05). The average daily feed intake of mice in each group was increased with the passage of time and at the same time, the comparison of average daily feed intake of mice in each group was not significantly different (P > 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS: G. uralensis Fisch polysaccharide can significantly improve the growth performance and immunologic function of mice and laid a research basis for the clinical application of G. uralensis Fisch polysaccharide.