Kolodziej H, Kiderlen AF (2007): In vitro evaluation of antibacterial and immunomodulatory activities of Pelargonium reniforme, Pelargonium sidoides and the related herbal drug preparation EPs® 7630
Phytomed. 14 (6, suppl. 1): 18-26.

The importance of Pelargonium species, most notably Pelargonium reniforme and Pelargonium sidoides, in traditional medicine in the Southern African region is well documented. Nowadays, a modern aqueous-ethanolic formulation of the roots of P. sidoides (EPs^® 7630) is successfully employed for the treatment of ear, nose and throat disorders as well as respiratory tract infections. To provide a scientific basis of its present utilization in phytomedicine, EPs^® 7630, extracts and isolated constituents of the titled Pelargonium species with emphasis on P. sidoides were evaluated for antibacterial activity and for their effects on non-specific immune functions. The samples exhibited merely moderate direct antibacterial capabilities against a spectrum of Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. Functional bioassays including an in vitro model for intracellular diseases, a fibroblast-lysis assay (tumour necrosis factor (TNF) activity), a fibroblast-virus protection assay (IFN activity) and a biochemical assay for nitric oxides revealed significant immunomodulatory properties. Gene expression experiments (iNOS, IFN-α, IFN-γ, TNF-α, Interleukin (IL)-1, IL-10, IL-12, IL-18) not only confirmed functional data, they also clearly showed differences in the response of infected macrophages when compared to that of noninfected cells. ELISA confirmed the protein production of TNF-α, IL-1α and IL-12, while FACS analyses reaffirmed the cytokines IL-1α and I-12 at the single cell level. The current data provide convincing support for the improvement of immune functions at various levels, hence, validating the medicinal uses of EPs^® 7630. Despite considerable efforts, the remedial effects cannot yet be related to a chemically defined principle.