Pharmacological and immunological effects of individual herbs in the Food Allergy Herbal Formula-2 (FAHF-2) on peanut allergy.
It was previously shown that a Chinese herbal formula, Food Allergy Herbal Formula 2 (FAHF-2) composed of nine herbs, blocked peanut-induced anaphylaxis in a murine model. The current study was designed to investigate the pharmacological actions of individual herbs comprising FAHF-2 on peanut-induced anaphylactic reactions in a murine model of peanut allergy and to determine if all nine herbs are necessary to prevent an anaphylactic reaction, or if a simplified formula containing fewer herbs would be equally effective. Some individual herbs reduced peanut-induced anaphylactic symptoms but no single herb offered full protection from anaphylactic symptoms equivalent to FAHF-2. The herbs had highly variable effects on histamine release, as well as peanut-specific serum IgE and IgG2a levels. The herbs also had variable effects on IL-4, IL-5 and IFN-gamma levels. A simplified formula comprising the most efficacious tested individual herbs showed only partial efficacy and was not able to reproduce comparably the effects of FAHF-2, suggesting that component herbs of FAHF-2 may work synergistically to produce the curative therapeutic effects produced by the whole formula, which appears to be the best option for future clinical trials.
Kattan
Jacob D
JD
Department of Pediatrics, Jaffe Food Allergy Institute, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, NY 10029, USA.
Srivastava
Kamal D
KD
Zou
Zhong Mei
ZM
Goldfarb
Joseph
J
Sampson
Hugh A
HA
Li
Xiu-Min
XM
D000707:Anaphylaxis / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000276:immunology; D000818:Animals; D007073:Immunoglobulin E / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology; D015847:Interleukin-4 / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology; D015848:Interleukin-5 / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology; D008516:Medicine, Chinese Traditional / Q000379:methods; D051379:Mice; D021183:Peanut Hypersensitivity / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology*; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology*
C497376:Food Allergy Herbal Formula-2; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D015848:Interleukin-5; D010936:Plant Extracts; D015847:Interleukin-4; D007073:Immunoglobulin E; D007371:Interferon-gamma