The impact of Saurauia vulcani Korth. on hepatic CD4+ T-cell profiles and serum interleukin-2 levels in rats induced by Salmonella typhimurium

A BSTRACT CD4 + T-cells and interleukin-2 (IL-2) are key regulators of the immune response, particularly during Salmonella infections. Saurauia vulcani Korth., commonly referred to as pirdot, is a traditional medicinal plant rich in flavonoids known for their anti-inflammatory effects. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of ethanol extract of pirdot leaves on hepatic CD4 + T-cell expression and serum IL-2 levels in rats challenged with Salmonella typhimurium . A posttest-only control group design was used with 32 male Wistar rats divided into four groups: Group I (normal/K0), Group II (negative/Kneg), Group III (positive control, Imboost ® 22.5 mg/kg BW), and Group IV (treatment, pirdot extract 500 mg/kg BW). On day 4, all groups except the normal control were infected with S. typhimurium . At day 14, blood and liver samples were collected. Serum IL-2 concentrations were measured, and liver tissues were examined histologically and assessed for CD4 + T-cell immunoreactivity score (IRS) by immunohistochemistry (IHC). Kruskal–Wallis analysis followed by Mann–Whitney test showed that the group given pirdot extract had the highest IL-2 levels (2.23 ± 0.18 ng/ml), followed by positive (1.86 ± 0.33 ng/ml), normal (1.71 ± 0.40 ng/ml), and negative (1.64 ± 0.28 ng/ml) with a significant difference ( P = 0.009). Then, histopathology scores were observed for hydropic degeneration, necrosis, inflammation, granuloma formation, and portal triad damage in all groups, followed by calculating the CD4 + T-cell IRS by Immunohistochemistry (IHC) examination. The results showed statistically significantly different values between all groups ( P = 0.004). The ethanol extract of pirdot leaves at a dose of 500 mg/kg BW was found to enhance CD4 + T-cell expression and elevate serum IL-2 levels, indicating its potential as an immunomodulatory agent against Salmonella infection.