Immunostimulant activity of Phyllanthus reticulatus Poir: a useful plant for infectious tropical diseases

The plants labeled as ‘rasayana’ have been endowed with properties like strengthening the phycho-neuro-immune axis[1]. Dysfunction of immune system is responsible for various diseases like cancer, allergy, arthritis, ulcerative colitis, asthma, parasitic diseases and infectious diseases[2]. Plants are the invaluable, incredible and traditional sources for the curability of various diseases in the form of medicines. The first thing done in the field of immunomodulation was the search of immunomodulatory agent for the treatment of residual cancer[3]. Phyllanthus reticulatus Poir (P. reticulatus) (Family: Euphorbiaceae) is a large, often scandent, shrub which grows throughout tropical areas of India, Bangladesh, China and the Malay Islands[4]. The leaves of the plant are diuretic and also used for diarrhoea in infants[5]. The leaf juice is a remedy for spongy and bleeding gums[6]. The biological work performed so far on this plant showed anti-diabetic[7], anti-plasmodial[8], hypocholesterolemic[9], antimicrobial PEER REVIEW ABSTRACT