{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2025,12,31]],"date-time":"2025-12-31T20:11:35Z","timestamp":1767211895742,"version":"build-2065373602"},"reference-count":37,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"6","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2016,6,2]],"date-time":"2016-06-02T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1464825600000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"Scientific Research Fund, Amman, Jordan","award":["(MPH-2-01-2011)"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["(MPH-2-01-2011)"]}]},{"name":"Deanship of Research and Graduate Studies at the University of Petra, Amman, Jordan","award":["(1-4-2013, 2-4-2014)"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["(1-4-2013, 2-4-2014)"]}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Molecules"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Eriobotrya japonica (Thunb.) Lindl. (Loquat) (EJ) has been used as a medicinal plant to treat chronic bronchitis, coughs, phlegm, high fever and gastro-enteric disorders. Since the traditional use of EJ is related to modulating inflammation processes, our earlier studies on EJ leaves were performed on the water extract to investigate specific cytokines\u2019 modulation. These earlier studies, however, have shown that EJ leaf water extract (WE) and the water phase (WP) induce cytokines\u2019 production in in vitro and in vivo models. Therefore, the aim of this study was to specify the group(s) of compounds in EJ leaves that have this immunomodulatory activity and their mechanism of action. WE was obtained from boiling the leaves followed by butanol extraction, yielding a butanol-water phase (WP). WP was then subjected to methanol:acetone fractionation, yielding upper (MAU) and lower (MAL) phases. For further fractionation, MAU was subjected to column chromatography followed by elution with ethanol:water (EW), methanol:ethanol (ME) and, lastly, acetone:water (AW), respectively, to reveal three sub-fractions; MAU-EW, MAU-ME and MAU-AW. MAU-AW significantly increased IFN-\u03b3 production from unstimulated and stimulated mouse spleen cells, as well as CD3+ T cells and natural killer cells. Furthermore, the fold increase of IFN-\u03b3 production by MAU-AW was concentration dependent, higher than the parent extract or any of the other sub-fractions, and such an IFN-\u03b3 increase was reversed by two JAK-STAT inhibitors. In addition, MALDI-TOF-MS analysis of the extracts and sub-fractions showed compounds with molecular weights of &gt;500 Daltons. The MAU-AW sub-fraction contained more polar compounds, such as flavonol and caffeic glycosides. In conclusion, these polar compounds in the EJ extract are responsible for inducing IFN-\u03b3 production. Further chemical elucidation is warranted to lead to a specific IFN-\u03b3 inducer and an immunomodulator in polarizing immune cells and balancing immune responses in certain diseases.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/molecules21060722","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2016,6,2]],"date-time":"2016-06-02T10:19:08Z","timestamp":1464862748000},"page":"722","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":12,"title":["Eriobotrya japonica Water Extract Characterization: An Inducer of Interferon-Gamma Production Mainly by the JAK-STAT Pathway"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"21","author":[{"given":"Khalid","family":"Matalka","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Pharmacology and Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Pharmacy and Medical Sciences, University of Petra, Amman 11196, Jordan"},{"name":"Petra University Pharmaceutical Center (PUPC), University of Petra, Amman 11196, Jordan"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Nada","family":"Abdulridha","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Pharmacology and Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Pharmacy and Medical Sciences, University of Petra, Amman 11196, Jordan"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-1020-5355","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Mujtaba","family":"Badr","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Pharmacology and Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Pharmacy and Medical Sciences, University of Petra, Amman 11196, Jordan"},{"name":"Petra University Pharmaceutical Center (PUPC), University of Petra, Amman 11196, Jordan"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Kenza","family":"Mansoor","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Pharmaceutical Medicinal Chemistry and Pharmacognosy, Faculty of Pharmacy and Medical Sciences, University of Petra, Amman 11196, Jordan"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Nidal","family":"Qinna","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Pharmacology and Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Pharmacy and Medical Sciences, University of Petra, Amman 11196, Jordan"},{"name":"Petra University Pharmaceutical Center (PUPC), University of Petra, Amman 11196, Jordan"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Fadi","family":"Qadan","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Eusano GmbH &amp; Co., Tussenhausen 86874, Germany"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2016,6,2]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Lim, T.K. 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