Burdock has anti-allergic effects. - GreenMedInfo Summary

Full Citation: "The discovery of drugs for the treatment of allergic disease is an important subject in human health. Arctium lappa L. (Compositae) has been used as a traditional medicine in Brazil and throughout Asia and is known to have an anti-inflammatory effect. In this study, the inhibitory effects of Arctium lappa (AL) on degranulation and the release of mediators and inhibition of cys-leukotriene biosynthesis by basophils were investigated. Arctium lappa was selected out of 10.000 herbal extracts in a set-up for high throughput screening in which the degree of degranulation was monitored by the release of beta-hexosaminidase from RBL-2H3 cells. The AL-extract was able to reduce degranulation and biosynthesis of cys-leukotrienes of human basophils in PBMCs significantly (IC50 8.3 and 11.4 microg/ml, respectively). Viability and metabolic activity of the PBMCs were not affected. Although the active component arctiin of AL described in the literature was not able to reduce degranulation in RBL-2H3 cells, a single HPLC-fraction from the AL-extract inhibited the beta-hexosaminidase release (IC50 = 22.2 microg/ml). Topical administration of an aqueous extract of AL (5 mg/ear) on the ear of whey-sensitized mice 4 hours before challenge with whey in the ear inhibited the acute ear swelling by 50% in an in vivo model for CMA. The extract had no effect in this model when administered orally. In conclusion, the active component present in the active HPLC-fraction of the AL-extract is able to significantly reduce the release of inflammatory mediators by the inhibition of degranulation and cys-leukotriene release in vitro and was also able to inhibit acute skin response in mice in vivo, indicating Arctium lappa to be a highly interesting natural component for anti-allergic treatment.betabeta."