The effect of an Iranian polyherbal formulation on the management of allergic asthma in mice

Asthma is a chronic respiratory ailment characterized by bronchospasm, airway inflammation and hyperresponsiveness, and recurrent episodes of breathing complications. Due to the high incidence of this disease, there has been a surge in the use of complementary branches of medicine such as Iranian traditional medicine (ITM) in recent times.

In this study, the efficacy of an ITM polyherbal formulation (Compound Honey Syrup) in the management of allergic asthma was explored.

60 Balb/c mice were divided into five groups (n = 12) as follows: G1, ovalbumin (OVA)-sensitized; G2, PBS-treated; G3, OVA + oral Compound Honey Syrup; G4, OVA + inhalational compound honey; G5, OVA + inhalational Budesonide. Subsequently, airway hyperresponsiveness (AHR) was assessed using methacholine test, cytokines levels were determined in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) and eosinophilia was assayed in blood and BALF. Also, histological transformation of the lungs was analyzed.

Oral Compound Honey Syrup prevented the development of AHR. Both oral and inhalational Compound Honey Syrup significantly diminished eosinophil counts in blood and BALF specimens. Moreover, both types of Compound Honey Syrup treatments remarkably reduced the levels of IL-5 and IL-13 in BALF and blood samples in comparison to the OVA-received animals (P < 0.05).

The present data show that Compound Honey Syrup is an effective herbal formulation to alleviate asthma-induced inflammatory response and therefore can be a promising remedy for the management of this disease.