The Yin and Yang actions of North American ginseng root in modulating the immune function of macrophages

Background Immuno-modulatory effects of ginseng, including both immuno-stimulatory and immuno-suppressive effects, have been widely reported. This study aims to determine whether the paradoxical immuno-modulatory effect is related to unique phytochemical profiles of different North American (NA) ginseng, namely aqueous (AQ) and alcoholic (ALC) extracts. Methods AQ and ALC extracts were prepared and their immuno-bioactivity were studied in vitro...