Hydroalcoholic extract of Crocus sativus effects on bronchial inflammatory cells in ovalbumin sensitized rats

Inflammation is one of the major components of asthma. Our aim was to evaluate the effects of C. sativus extract on total and differential white blood cells (WBC) count in lung lavage fluid (LLF) of ovalbumin-sensitized rats. Forty rats were divided into five groups (n = 8 for each group) as control (C), sensitized with injection and inhalation of ovalbumin (OA) alone (S), and three groups of sensitized and treated with different doses of C. sativus extract (S+50EX, S+100EX, and S+200EX groups). Total and differential WBC counts of LLF were evaluated in control, sensitized, and treated sensitized groups. Total WBC count, neutrophil, and eosinophil percentage in LLF were increased in sensitized animals compared with the control group (p<0.001). Treatment of sensitized animals with all doses of the extract significantly reduced WBC number and the percentage of neutrophil and eosinophil compared with the sensitized animals (p<0.01–0.001). According to these results, the extract of C. sativus could be effective on alleviating lung inflammatory cells specially eosinophils in lung lavage of sensitized animals which may indicate a preventive effect of this plant on lung inflammation in asthma.