In vivo findings have demonstrated that the amanita muscaria extract – AME-1 – indicate a potential priming effect on the immune system, allowing it to more efficiently respond to pathogens.
Life sciences company Psyched Wellness has developed AME-1 which has previously shown promise for skin conditions. Psyched Wellness research has demonstrated that AME-1 holds a potential new functional property – inhibiting human mast cell activation – which could potentially work as a treatment for inflammatory skin conditions.
The company has recently carried out a 90-day oral toxicity study on the compound with licensed contract research organisation KGK. It has reported findings from an analysis of the intestinal epithelial immune receptor expression study performed in conjunction with the toxicity study.
Scientific advisor for Psyched Wellness, Brian Tancowny, commented: “The importance of these in vivo findings indicates an innate immune priming biological activity, and this is preserved during the 90-day study.
“The potential priming effect and maintenance result in a more efficient response to an invading pathogen, thus promoting greater gut health and increased health and wellness of the individual.
“There was no over stimulation or negative effects with long-term use of AME-1 in terms of gut health and wellness. This is another key finding in the further understanding of the effects of AME-1 on health and wellness.”
The in vivo study via oral supplementation with AME-1 focused on the potential bioactive effects on the immune receptors Toll-like Receptor-2 (TLR-2) and Dectin-1, which are found on the surface of gut epithelial cells.
These receptors play a vital role in host-defence mechanisms against pathogens. The main function of TLRs is the ability to recognise numerous pathogens – activating the host-defence mechanism through the induction of antimicrobial activity.
Dectin-1 is a cell surface pathogen recognition receptor that recognises soluble and /or particulate forms of β-1,3 or β-1,6-glucans and, like Toll-like receptors, plays an important role in the host-defence mechanism as well.
Psyched Wellness states that the recent results of the in vivo study showed only a modest increase in TLR-2 and Dectin-1 receptors, but this was not a significant finding. It could be interpreted that the challenge of continuous dosing of AME-1 resulted in maximal cell surface expression of TLR-2 and Dectin-1, thus seeing only a modest positive upregulation of cell surface membrane expression.
However, the sustained upregulation of both TLR-2 and Dectin-1 receptors indicates innate immune mechanisms that were primed and maintained throughout the course of the 90-day oral study. It states that there was no downregulation of either surface receptor type, nor was there any over priming or stimulating effect which would have negatively impacted the immune system through the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines.
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