Anti-allergic Effects of a Hot Water Extract of Stephania tetrandra S. Moore in RBL-2H3 Cells and an Allergic Rhinitis Mouse Model

Abstract

We investigated the anti-allergic activities of a hot water extract of Stephania tetrandra S. Moore using RBL-2H3 cells and an allergic rhinitis mouse model. The degranulation levels were significantly lower in the water-solvent fraction (WEx) and 99% ethanol fraction (99% EtEx) extracted from S. tetrandra than in the control. However, the cell viability of 99% EtEx was significantly lower than the control. In an ovalbumin allergic rhinitis mouse model, the frequency of sneezing after the fifth nasal ovalbumin (OVA) challenge in the groups intragastrically administered WEx and 99% EtEx decreased significantly compared to the control, although this decrease was lost following the sixth or seventh challenge. Plasma levels of OVA-specific immunoglobulin E in the WEx and 99% EtEx groups were significantly lower than the control at the experimental end point. Thus, S. tetrandra was proposed to be an effective anti-allergic natural medicine.