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Asthma is a persistent inflammatory disease characterized by airway obstruction and hyperresponsiveness in association with airway inflammation. In the current research, we studied the anti-inflammatory and anti-asthmatic effects of tiarellic acid (TA) isolated from Tiarella polyphylla, based on asthmatic parameters, such as immunoglobulin E (IgE) level, cytokine release, eosinophilia, airway hyperresponsiveness (AHR), reactive oxygen species (ROS) and mucus hypersecretion, in an ovalbumin (OVA)-sensitized/challenged mouse model. TA significantly inhibited increases in IgE, levels of ROS and T helper cytokines, such as interleukin (IL)-4, IL-5, TNF-α, and IL-13, in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF), and effectively suppressed airway hyperresponsiveness, eosinophilia, and mucus hypersecretion in the asthmatic mouse model. In addition, we found that administration of TA attenuated ovalbumin-induced increases in NF-κB activity in lungs. The efficacy of TA was comparable to that of montelukast, a currently available anti-asthmatic drug. Our results support the utility of TA as a herbal medicine for asthma treatment and may have application in the development of anti-inflammatory and anti-asthmatic drugs., (Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

The pepper fruit of Capsicum annuum L. is used as a food, spice, and topical medicine. Here, we investigated the effect of a methanolic C. annuum L. extract (CAE) in a mouse model of ovalbumin-induced allergic airway inflammation. Animals were treated with CAE by oral gavage before ovalbumin challenge. After ovalbumin challenge, airway responsiveness to methacholine, influx of inflammatory cells into the lung, cytokine levels in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid and lung, nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) activity in lungs, and lung histopathology were assessed. Oral treatment with CAE significantly reduced the pathophysiological signs of allergic airway disease, including increased inflammatory cell recruitment to the airways, airway hyperresponsiveness, and increased levels of T-helper type 2 cytokines. Reactive oxygen species were also decreased in cells from bronchoalveolar lavage fluid. In addition, we found that administration of CAE attenuated ovalbumin-induced increases in NF-κB activity in lungs. Collectively, these results suggest that CAE may be an effective oral treatment for allergic airway inflammation by virtue of its antioxidant activity.

Bronchial asthma is characterized by chronic lung inflammation, airway hyperresponsiveness (AHR), and airway remodeling. Astilbic acid, extracted from the medicinal herb Astilbe chinensis, is used as a headache remedy in traditional medicine and has anti-pyretic and analgesic effects. However, the effect of astilbic acid on asthma remains to be established. In the present study, we therefore examined the effect of astilbic acid in a mouse model in which asthma was established by sensitization and challenge with ovalbumin (OVA). Astilbic acid inhibited OVA-induced AHR to inhaled methacholine and significantly suppressed the levels of T-helper 2-type cytokines (including IL [interleukin]-4, IL-5, and IL-13) and inflammatory cells (including eosinophils) in bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid. Histochemical analysis revealed reduced goblet cell hyperplasia and mucus production, as well as attenuated eosinophil-rich leukocyte infiltration, in the astilbic acid-treated group, compared with OVA-challenged mice. Moreover, the compound significantly inhibited synthesis of IL-4-, IL-5-, IL-13-, IL-17-, and eotaxin-encoding mRNA following asthma induction in lung tissue, in addition to suppressing the immunoglobulin E (IgE) response to asthma in both BAL fluid and serum. Our results indicate that astilbic acid has great potential as a therapeutic candidate for the treatment of asthma., (Copyright © 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Aim of the Study: We investigated the efficacy of Viola mandshurica W. Becker (VM) ethanolic (EtOH) extract in the treatment of bronchial asthma in an ovalbumin (OVA)-induced asthmatic BALB/c mouse model., Materials and Methods: Female BALB/c mice were sensitized with intraperitoneal (i.p.) ovalbumin (OVA) on days 0 and 14, and were next given intranasal OVA on days 28-30. Randomized treatment groups of sensitized mice received VM EtOH extract, dexamethasone, or placebo, orally, from days 28 to 30., Results: VM EtOH extract significantly inhibited increases in total immunoglobulin E (IgE) and cytokines IL-4 and IL-13 levels in serum and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF), and also effectively suppressed airway hyperresponsiveness (AHR), eosinophilia, and mucus hypersecretion, in mice with OVA-induced asthma., Conclusions: The results suggest that VM EtOH extract and allied extracts could be useful herbal medicines for asthma treatment, and that VM may also be a valuable lead material for anti-asthma drug development., (Copyright 2009 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Asthma is a disease marked by chronic lung inflammation and the number of patients suffering from asthma increases annually. Both beta-sitosterol (BS) and beta-sitosterol glucoside exist in a variety of plants and have anti-tumor, anti-microbial, and immunomodulatory activities. However, the precise role of BS and beta-sitosterol glucoside in asthma has not been well understood. The aim of this study was to investigate the inhibitory effects of BS and lactose-BS (L-BS) on the pathophysiological process in ovalbumin-induced asthmatic mice. The total cells and eosinophils in the bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid markedly decreased (p<0.05) after L-BS or BS administration (1 mg/kg; i.p.), and the ROS production also decreased in comparison to the asthma control. Histopathological features were detected by performing histochemistry, including H&E and alcian blue & P.A.S staining. Both L-BS and BS mitigated the inflammation by eosinophil infiltration and mucus hypersecretion by goblet hyperplasia. These effects of L-BS were superior to those of BS. L-BS and BS inhibited the increased mRNA and protein expression of IL-4 and IL-5 in the lung tissue and BAL fluid, respectively. The IgE concentration in the BAL fluid and serum was measured by performing ELISA and the ovalbumin-specific IgE in the BAL fluid was uniquely inhibited by L-BS (p<0.05). The splenocytes were isolated from the normal and asthmatic mice and incubated in the absence and presence of 100 microg/ml ovalbumin, respectively. L-BS blocked the survival rate of the splenocytes of the mice (p<0.01). This finding indicates the possibility of L-BS and BS as potential therapeutic molecules in asthma and may contribute to the need to improve current therapeutic drugs.