Abstract: This work is to compare the differences of major active components in the extracts between wild and cultivated Cistanche deserticola in Xinjiang, detect their capacities to induce the maturation of dendritic cells(DCs)in mice, and evaluate their immune activities. The extracts were prepared by ultrasonic extraction, and the contents of polysaccharides and phenylethanoid glycosides were measured by ultraviolet-visible spectrophotometer method. The immune to BALB/c mice with extracts was through foot pad, and the expressions of CD86(cell differentiation antigens 86)and MHCII(major histocompatibility complex II)on the surface of CD11c⁺DCs inside mouse were detected by flow cytometry. The polysaccharides contents in the aqueous extracts from wild and cultivated C. deserticola were 59.58% and 76.82% respectively, and the contents of phenylethanoid glycosides in the alcohol extracts were 17.12% and 8.48% respectively. The immune tests of mice showed that the extracts from both wild and cultivated C. deserticola enhanced the expression level of CD86 and MHCII on the surface of CD11c⁺DCs inside mice(P<0.01);and the effect was similar to that of the positive control group(LPS). The effect of the same dosage of wild and cultivated ethanol extracts on the CD86 was significantly different(P<0.05). The effect of the other extracts on MHCII and CD86 was not significantly different(P>0.05). In conclusion, there were differences in the main components between Xinjiang wild and cultivated C. deserticola, and in appropriate concentration they both could significantly promoted DCs maturation in mice, and the difference was not significant.

Key words: Cistanche deserticola, polysaccharides, phenylethanoid glycosides, dendritic cell