Abstract: Objective: To explore the effects of Panax ginseng fruit juice concentrate on immune function in immunocompromised mice. Methods: Totally 72 specific pathogen-free (SPF) C57BL/6J male mice were randomly divided into six groups (n = 12): blank, model, and low-, medium- and high-dose Panax ginseng fruit juice concentrate (83, 166, 249 and 332 mg/kg mb). The model and Panax ginseng fruit juice concentrate groups were injected intraperitoneally with 40 mg/kg mb cyclophosphamide on a daily basis for 10 days while the blank group was intraperitoneally injected with the same amount of phosphate buffered saline (PBS). Afterwards, the mice in the Panax ginseng fruit juice concentrate groups were intragastrically administrated with different dosage of Panax ginseng fruit juice concentrate at a volume of 20 mL/kg mb, and those in the blank and model groups were gavaged with the same volume of distilled water for 15 days. Then, body, spleen and thymus mass, white blood cell count, the number of lymphocyte subsets, cytokine expression levels, and nuclear transcription factor expression levels in immune cells were measured. Results: Panax ginseng fruit juice concentrate could improve the spleen mass/index (spleen/body mass ratio) in immunocompromised mice, increase the number of peripheral blood cells and the number of lymphocytes in immune organs, promote the expression of cytokines interleukin (IL)-2, IL-4 and IL-17, inhibit the expression of transforming growth factor (TGF)-β in immunocompromised mice and partially restore the RNA expression of T-box expressed in T cells (T-bet) and forkhead box protein 3 (Foxp3) (P < 0.05), and the effect of Panax ginseng fruit juice concentrate at a dose of 249 mg/kg mb was the most significant. However, Panax ginseng fruit juice concentrate had no significant effect on restoring the body mass or thymus mass of immunocompromised mice. Conclusion: Panax ginseng fruit juice concentrate can enhance immune function in immunocompromised mice.

Key words: Panax ginseng fruit; saponins; cyclophosphamide; lymphocyte; immune function