Anti-inflammatory and anti-asthmatic effects of Viola mandshurica W. Becker (VM) ethanolic (EtOH) extract on airway inflammation in a mouse model of allergic asthma

• Published in: Journal of ethnopharmacology 2010-01, Vol.127 (1), p.159-164
• Main Authors: Lee, Mee-Young, Yuk, Ji-Eun, Kwon, Ok-Kyoung, Kim, Hui-Seong, Oh, Sei-Ryang, Lee, Hyeong-Kyu, Ahn, Kyung-Seop
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Airway hyperresponsiveness; animal models; Animals; Anti-Asthmatic Agents - therapeutic use; anti-inflammatory activity; Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal - therapeutic use; Asthma; Asthma - drug therapy; Asthma - immunology; Asthma - physiopathology; Biological and medical sciences; blood chemistry; body fluids; Bronchi - drug effects; Bronchi - pathology; Bronchial Hyperreactivity - immunology; bronchoalveolar lavage fluid; Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid - chemistry; Cytokine; Eosinophilia; Eosinophilia - immunology; eosinophils; Ethanol - chemistry; Female; General pharmacology; hypersensitivity; Hypersensitivity, Delayed - blood; Hypersensitivity, Delayed - chemically induced; Hypersensitivity, Delayed - drug therapy; immunoglobulin E; Immunoglobulin E - analysis; Immunoglobulin E - blood; Inflammation - drug therapy; Inflammation - immunology; interleukin-13; interleukin-4; interleukins; Interleukins - analysis; Interleukins - blood; Korea; Medical sciences; medicinal plants; medicinal properties; Mice; Mice, Inbred BALB C; mucus; Mucus - drug effects; oral administration; ovalbumin; Ovalbumin - immunology; Ovalbumin - toxicity; Pharmacognosy. Homeopathy. Health food; Pharmacology. Drug treatments; Phytotherapy; plant extracts; Plant Extracts - therapeutic use; Plants, Medicinal; Random Allocation; Viola; Viola - chemistry; Viola mandshurica; Viola mandshurica W. Becker
• ISSN: 0378-8741; 1872-7573
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jep.2009.09.033

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. 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. 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. 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.