Forsythia suspensa extract alleviates hypersensitivity induced by soybean beta-conglycinin in weaned piglets.
OBJECTIVE
Soybeans are known to stimulate food allergies; however, current therapies are lacking in alleviating hypersensitivity. The present study investigated whether Forsythia suspensa extract could attenuate purified soybean beta-conglycinin-induced anaphylactic reactions in weaned piglets.


METHODS
Eighteen 14-day-old piglets were sensitized and boosted by oral administration of purified beta-conglycinin. Forsythia suspensa extract was supplemented in the diet after the initial sensitization and continued for the remainder of the experiment. Piglets were challenged on day 28, and anaphylactic symptoms, passive cutaneous anaphylaxis, plasma histamine and intestinal microbial flora were analyzed. T-cell proliferative responses and cytokine production were also determined.


RESULTS
Forsythia suspensa extract alleviated beta-conglycinin-induced anaphylactic symptoms by markedly reducing anaphylactic antibodies, mast cell degranulation, and histamine release while improving intestinal microbial flora. Furthermore, Forsythia suspensa extract significantly suppressed beta-conglycinin-induced T lymphocyte proliferation and IL-4 synthesis.


CONCLUSIONS
Forsythia suspensa extract protected beta-conglycinin-sensitized piglets from anaphylactic reactions. Forsythia suspensa extract may provide a novel effective therapy for soybean allergy.
Hao
Yue
Y
State Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition, China Agricultural University, No 2 Yuanmingyuan West Road, Beijing 100193, China.
Li
Defa
D
Piao
Xianglan
X
Piao
Xiangshu
X
D000707:Anaphylaxis / Q000276:immunology; D000818:Animals; D052179:Antigens, Plant; D005512:Food Hypersensitivity / Q000276:immunology*; D031657:Forsythia; D005916:Globulins; D006636:Histamine Release / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology; D006967:Hypersensitivity / Q000276:immunology*; D015847:Interleukin-4 / Q000276:immunology; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation / Q000187:drug effects; D008297:Male; D010323:Passive Cutaneous Anaphylaxis / Q000276:immunology; D011897:Random Allocation; D055314:Seed Storage Proteins; D030262:Soybean Proteins; D013025:Glycine max / Q000276:immunology*; D034421:Sus scrofa / Q000276:immunology*; D014886:Weaning
D052179:Antigens, Plant; D005916:Globulins; D055314:Seed Storage Proteins; D030262:Soybean Proteins; C013894:beta-conglycinin protein, Glycine max; D015847:Interleukin-4