Table 3.

Plant extracts with immunostimulatory effects tested using in vivo assays.

Family	Scientific name	Plant part	Extract	Model of immunosuppression and duration of the experiment [range of dose tested]	Immunostimulatory effects (compared to immunosuppressed mice)	Reference
Anacardiaceae	Amphipterygium adstringens (Schltdl.) Standl.	Bk	H2O	BALB/c mice bearing lymphoma L5178Y for 10 days [10 mg/kg p.o.]	Proliferation of splenocytes (2.0-fold) at 10 mg/kg	[51]
Asteraceae	Tridax procumbens L.	Ap	H2O	Immunocompetent Swiss mice for 6 days [250 and 500 mg/kg i.p.]	Increase of leukocyte number (1.4-fold) at 500 mg/kg Increase in phagocytic index (0.3-fold) at 500 mg/kg	[22]
Bignoniaceae	Tabebuia chrysantha (Jacq.) G. Nicholson	Lv	H2O : EtOH (1 : 1)	Wistar rats immunized with sheep red blood cells for 17 days [1000 mg/kg p.o.]	Increase of leucocyte number (1.2-fold) at 1000 mg/kg	[24]
Cactaceae	Lophocereus schottii (Engelm.) Britton & Rose	Sm	EtOH	BALB/c mice bearing lymphoma L5178Y for 22 days [10 mg/kg p.o.]	Proliferation of lymphocytes (0.2-fold) at 10 mg/kg	[25]
Molluginaceae	Mollugo verticillata L.	Ap	EtOH	Mice inoculated with 0.1 mg Bacillus Calmette–Guérin for 7 days [500 mg/kg p.o.]	NO production (3.1-fold) at 500 mg/kg	[52]
Phytolaccaceae	Petiveria alliacea L.	Ap	H2O	BALB/c mice treated with 5-fluorouracil for 4 days [400 and 1200 mg/kg p.o.]	Increase of leukocyte number (1.4-fold) at 1200 mg/kg	[53]
Santalaceae	Phoradendron serotinum (Raf.) M. C. Johnst.	Lv	EtOH	C57BL/6 mice bearing TC-1 tumor for 25 days [1–10 mg/kg i.p.]	Production of IFN-γ (1.3-fold), IL-2 (2.1-fold), and IL-6 (2.1-fold) at 10 mg/kg	[41]
Urticaceae	Phenax rugosus (Poir.) Wedd.	Lv	H2O : EtOH (1 : 1)	Wistar rats immunized with sheep red blood cells for 17 days [1000 mg/kg p.o.]	Increase of leucocyte number (1.5-fold) at 1000 mg/kg	[24]

Solvent used for the extract: EtOH: ethanol; H₂O: aqueous. Plant part: Rb: root bark; Tb: tubercle; Lv: leaves; Wp: whole plant; Ap: aerial parts; Sm: stem; Bk: bark.