Action of some proteic and carbohydrate components of Symphytum officinale upon normal and neoplastic cells.

The crude watery extract of Symphytum officinale and certain proteic and carbohydrate components isolated from it were studied for their effect upon the in vivo and in vitro proliferation of Ehrlich ascites cells, EL-4 cell line and of human T lymphocytes and upon the respiratory burst of human PMN granulocytes stimulated via Fc receptors. The results indicate that the crude extract and its proteic fraction stimulate the in vivo proliferation of the studied neoplastic cells and exert an antimitotic effect on human T lymphocytes in vitro stimulated with PHA. The vegetal preparations have remarkable effects on the respiratory burst of the granulocytes non-stimulated and stimulated via Fc receptors. The data underline the necessity to study thoroughly the effects of different phyto compounds through both pharmacological and immunological methods.