Intake of a Milk-Based Wolfberry Formulation Enhances the Immune Response of Young-Adult and Aged Mice

Aging is associated with alterations of immune responses. Wolfberry, a popular Chinese functional ingredient, is prized for its anti-aging properties; however, little is known about the immunological effect of wolfberry intake. The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of dietary intake of a milk-based formulation of wolfberry, named Lacto-Wolfberry, on in vivo and ex vivo parameters of adaptive immunity in young-adult and aged mice. Over 44 days, young-adult (2 months) and aged (21 months) C57BL/6J mice were fed ad libitum with a controlled diet and received drinking water supplemented or not with 0.5% (wt/vol) Lacto-Wolfberry. All mice were immunized on day 15 and challenged on day 22 with a T cell- dependent antigen, keyhole limpet hemocyanin (KLH). Lacto-Wolfberry supplementation significantly increased in vivo systemic immune markers that are known to decline with aging. Indeed, both antigen-(KLH) specific humoral response and cell-mediated immune responses in young-adult and aged mice were enhanced when compared to their respective controls. No significant effect of Lacto-Wolfberry supplementation was observed on ex vivo spleen cells proliferative response to mitogens and on splenocyte T cell subsets. In conclusion, dietary intake of Lacto-Wolfberry may favorably modulate the poor responsiveness to antigenic challenge observed with aging.