Amelioration of asthmatic inflammation by an aqueous extract of Spinacia oleracea Linn

Int J Mol Med. 2010 Mar;25(3):409-14. doi: 10.3892/ijmm_00000359.

Abstract

Inflammation of the respiratory tract is a crucial process in immune diseases, including asthma, and atopic rhinitis. To establish whether an aqueous extract of Spinacia oleracea Linn (SoL) has a beneficial influence in terms of anti-asthmatic activity, we examined its effects on an ovalbumin-induced asthmatic model. Mice sensitized to ovalbumin were orally administered the SoL extract, and their lungs examined by hematoxylin and eosin staining to determine IL-4/13 cytokine expression. The SoL extract exerted strong anti-asthmatic effects by inducing a decrease in the CD4+ cell number, IL-4/13, and other molecular markers in the lung. Our results collectively indicate that the aqueous SoL extract ameliorates asthmatic symptoms effectively in a mouse ovalbumin-challenge model.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Administration, Oral
  • Animals
  • Anti-Asthmatic Agents / therapeutic use*
  • Asthma* / drug therapy
  • Asthma* / immunology
  • Cell Line
  • Immunoglobulin E / immunology
  • Inflammation* / drug therapy
  • Inflammation* / immunology
  • Interleukin-13 / immunology
  • Interleukin-4 / immunology
  • Lung / cytology
  • Lung / immunology
  • Lung / pathology
  • Male
  • Mice
  • Ovalbumin / immunology
  • Plant Extracts / chemistry
  • Plant Extracts / therapeutic use*
  • Spinacia oleracea / chemistry*

Substances

  • Anti-Asthmatic Agents
  • Interleukin-13
  • Plant Extracts
  • Interleukin-4
  • Immunoglobulin E
  • Ovalbumin