This study was to demonstrate the comparison of immunological activity between vegetable soup made by fresh and extruded radish in in-vitro (bone marrow-derived macrophages and dendritic cells, and mouse splenocytes) and invivo models. In cell survival tests, extruded radish added to vegetable soup (EVS) and non-extruded radish added to vegetable soup powder (NEVS) were treated with bone-marrow derived macrophages, dendritic cells, and mouse splenocytes, and showed no cytotoxic effect at a dose below 1000 μg/mL. EVS treated cells had greater cell proliferation and cytokine [tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, interleukin (IL)-6, IL-1β, IL-2, interferon (INF)-γ] production when compared to the NEVS treated group. Cell surface marker (CD 80/86, MHC class I/II) expression in bone marrow-derived macrophages and dendritic cells was evenly increased in the EVS treated group. In in-vivo study, administration of EVS increased for the CD4 and CD8 T cell population in splenocyte and cytokine production (IL-2, IFN-γ, TNF-α) but not Th2 type cytokines (IL-4). Therefore, adding the extruded radish is a more effective method for vegetable soup to increase immunological activity against immune cells.

Macrophages play a pivotal role in the innate and adaptive immune systems. This study investigated the immuno-modulatory activities of polysaccharides separated from Chrysanthemum zawadskii var. latilobum (CZPS) in macrophages. Polysaccharides from Chrysanthemum zawadskii var. latilobum were extracted by the ethanol precipitation method. RAW 264.7 mouse macrophage cell line was treated with CZPS (4 to 128 μg/mL), and there was no cytotoxicity at a dose below 32 μg/mL. The levels of nitric oxide (NO) and pro-inflammatory cytokines (tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α and interleukin (IL)-6, IL-1β) production in the CZPS treated group (32 μg/mL) were 6.5±0.12 μM (NO), 1252.8±79.85 (TNF-α), 305.4±29.41 (IL-6), and 683.3±59.71 (IL-1β), respectively, and they were significantly increased when compared to the control group; 2.2±0.03 μM (NO), 452.3±38.34 (TNF-α), 31.7±5.75 (IL-6), and 184.1±11.52 (IL-1β). Additionally, protein expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and phosphorylation of MAPKs and NF-κB expression were significantly increased upon CZPS treatment. Therefore, these results indicated that polysaccharides separated from Chrysanthemum zawadskii var. latilobum (CZPS) may have a potential immunomodulatory activity in macrophages through MAPKs and NF-κB signaling, and this information is useful for the development of immune enhancing adjuvant materials using a natural ingredient.