Immunomodulatory and Antibacterial Properties of the Chumash Medicinal Plant Trichostema lanatum.

The woody shrub Benth. (Lamiaceae) is native to Southern California and was reportedly used by the Chumash people as a disinfectant and for the treatment of rheumatism. Based on its traditional uses, this study investigated the antibacterial and immunomodulatory properties of extracts from A methanolic extract of the leaves and stems of was tested for immunomodulatory activity by measuring the proliferation of murine macrophage cell cultures and the production of the pro-inflammatory cytokine TNF-α by the cells after treatment with . Antibacterial activity of the extract against a panel of six Gram-positive bacteria and two Gram-negative bacteria was evaluated using a disc-diffusion assay. The extract inhibited the growth of Gram-positive bacteria, but not Gram-negative bacteria. Treatment of activated macrophage cell cultures with extract resulted in decreased proliferation of the activated macrophages and a decrease in the production of TNF-α. These results provide the first pharmacological support for the traditional use of by the Chumash people of Southern California as a disinfectant and treatment for rheumatism.