Inhibition of lipopolysaccharid-induced sickness behavior by a dry extract from the roots of Pelargonium sidoides (EPs 7630) in mice.

The host response to infections comprise the synthesis and release of proinflammatory cytokines (e.g. IL-1ss, TNF-alpha, IL-6) which induce symptoms of sickness behavior characterised by anorexia, depressed activity, listlessness or malaise. In laboratory animals, sickness behavior can be induced by the administration of cytokines itself or by cytokine-inducers such as lipopolysaccharide (LPS), the active fragment of endotoxin from Gram-negative bacteria. Preparations from roots of Pelargonium sidoides have been traditionally used in South African folk medicine for the treatment of different diseases (e.g. diarrhea, dysmenorrhea, hepatic disorders and respiratory tract infections including tuberculosis). Today, aqueous ethanolic extracts of Pelargonium sidoides are marketed mainly for respiratory tract infections. We studied the effects of the extract EPs 7630 and different fractions separated by ultrafiltration in an animal model of sickness behavior. The results of this study demonstrate that the extract EPs 7630 and the high-molecular weight fraction (F3) alleviate the symptoms of sickness behavior.