Ocimum gratissimum Linn. and rosmarinic acid, attenuate eosinophilic airway inflammation in an experimental model of respiratory allergy to Blomia tropicalis

Abstract

Allergic asthma has emerged as an important public health problem of urban populations in developed countries. Very often herbal medicine is used to treat this widespread disease, due to the lack of efficacy and the important side effects related to the classical drugs in use. Along this line, Ocimum gratissimum (Og) is a plant widely used in Brazilian folk medicine to treat inflammatory disorders, such as asthma. In the present study we evaluated the immunomodulatory effects of Og and rosmarinic acid (RA, a polyphenolic compound) in a murine model of respiratory allergy induced by the Blomia tropicalis (Bt) mite. The respiratory allergy was induced in A/J mice by administration of Bt extract and the treatment was done using 25, 50 or 100mg/kg of an Og methanolic extract or using 2, 20 or 200mg/kg of RA. We then evaluated the changes induced by these drugs on immunological parameters related to the allergic process, which are up-regulated in this allergic model. The treatment of animals with 100mg/Kg Og and 200mg/Kg RA led to a significant reduction in the numbers of leukocytes/eosinophils in bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL); eosinophil peroxidase activity in BAL; presence of mucus in respiratory tract, histopathological changes in the lung, and IL-4 in BAL. These results suggest that the methanolic extract of Og and the polyphenol RA have therapeutic potential in this murine model of respiratory allergy to a clinically relevant human sensitizer allergen.

Chemical Fingerprint and Anti-Sickling Activity of Rosmarinic Acid and Methanolic Extracts from Three Species of <i>Ocimum</i> from DR Congo

“…This seems to be approximately to RA founded value. This result is comparable to that found by Costa et al [37] in methanolic extract of O. gratissimum from Brazil.…”

Molecular Cloning and Characterization of Genes Involved in Rosmarinic Acid Biosynthesis from <i>Prunella vulgaris</i>

“…1) Its dried inflorescence and roots have a long history of use in traditional Chinese and European medicine. 2) P. vulgaris has been reported to exhibit numerous pharmacological and biological properties, including antibacterial, 3) anticancer, 4) antihemorrhagic, 5) anti-human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), 6) anti-inflammatory, 7) antioxidant, 8) antiproliferative, 9) antidiabetic, 10) antiviral, 11) hepatoprotective, 12) immunomodulatory, 13) and neuroreparative 3) activities. Chemical investigations have revealed that P. vulgaris contains a variety of bioactive constituents, primarily rosmarinic acid (RA), ursolic acid, and oleanolic acid.…”

Anti-allergic effect of a Korean traditional medicine, Biyeom-Tang on mast cells and allergic rhinitis

“…A recent study has revealed that rosmarinic acid, a polyphenolic compound, showed anti-inflammatory activity in the treatment of allergic asthma [23]. The furanocoumarins also exert anti-inflammatory activities by inhibiting NO and PGE 2 production, and among these compounds, imperatorin showed the most potent inhibitory activity [24-27].…”