Phellinus igniarius alcohol extract restores the immune homeostasis in cyclophosphamide induced immunocompromised mice

It is common for cancer patients to experience immune dysfunction after chemotherapy, which increases their risk of infection and tumor recurrence. Restoring immune homeostasis is therefore of great importance. Phellinus igniarius's role in restoring immune homeostasis is unclear. This study conducts mass spectrometry analysis on Phellinus igniarius alcohol extract to identify its main components, and then conducts animal experiments to clarify the effects of Phellinus igniarius alcohol extract on the immunocompromised mice induced by cyclophosphamide, observing the changes on mice state, immune organs indices, CD4+/CD8+ T cells ratio, immune cells functions, and cytokines secretion. Phellinus igniarius alcohol extract (P-AE) exhibited a dose-dependent trend in restoring immune homeostasis in cyclophosphamide-induced immunocompromised mice. Compared to the cyclophosphamide group, the P-AE-1000 group mice showed significant differences in vitality, immune organs indices, CD4+/CD8+ T cells ratio, immune cells functions, and cytokines secretion. This study found that Phellinus igniarius alcohol extract could increase the ratio of CD4+/CD8+ T cells, improve the level of cytokines secretion, and rebuild the immune homeosta of immunocompromised mice. • P-AE restored thymus structure and enhanced immunity in CTX-treated mice. • P-AE increased lymphocyte count and thymic corpuscle integrity. • P-AE-1000 elevated cytokine/antibody levels and improved immune function. • P-AE restored CD4+/CD8+ ratio, polarized M1/M2 macrophages, and enhanced phagocytosis/lymphocyte proliferation.