title: Preventive effects of skullcap (Scutellaria baicalensis) extract in a mouse model of food allergy.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Food allergy, which accompanies acute symptoms such as pruritus, vomiting, diarrhea, and lethal anaphylactic shock is an increasing clinical problem. Skullcap (Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi) has been widely used as a traditional herbal medicine to treat inflammation, cancer, and allergy, but its effects in treating food allergy are not yet known.
  
  
  METHODS
  To examine the effect of skullcap on food allergy, female BALB/c mice were sensitized with 20 μg OVA and 2mg alum by intraperitoneal injection on day 0. From day 17, mice were orally challenged with OVA (50 mg) in saline every 3 days, for a total of six times. To investigate the preventive effect, skullcap (25 mg/kg) was orally administered every day from day 17 to 34.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Food allergy symptoms were evaluated by the criteria for diarrhea, anaphylactic response, and rectal temperature. Severe symptoms of food allergy were observed in the sham group (diarrhea, 3 points; anaphylactic response, 2.6 points; rectal temperature, -8.36 °C. In contrast, the skullcap treatment group had a significantly suppressed OVA-induced anaphylactic response (1.3 points) and rectal temperature (-4.76°C). Moreover, both OVA-specific IgE, Th17 cytokine (IL-17), and Th2-related cytokines (IL-4, IL-5, IL-10, and IL-13), which increased with food allergy, were significantly inhibited by skullcap treatment.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We demonstrate that the administration of skullcap attenuates OVA-induced food allergy symptoms through regulating systemic immune responses of Th cells. These results indicate that skullcap may be a potential candidate as a preventive agent for food allergy.
authors.affiliation: Korea Food Research Institute, 1201-62, Anyangpangyo-ro, Bundang-gu, Seognam-si, Kyeonggi-do 463-746, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Hee Soon
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Shin
authors.affiliation: Korea Food Research Institute, 1201-62, Anyangpangyo-ro, Bundang-gu, Seognam-si, Kyeonggi-do 463-746, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Min-Jung
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Bae
authors.affiliation: Korea Food Research Institute, 1201-62, Anyangpangyo-ro, Bundang-gu, Seognam-si, Kyeonggi-do 463-746, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Sun Young
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Jung
authors.affiliation: Korea Food Research Institute, 1201-62, Anyangpangyo-ro, Bundang-gu, Seognam-si, Kyeonggi-do 463-746, Republic of Korea. Electronic address: dhs95@kfri.re.kr.
authors.forename: Dong-Hwa
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Shon
mesh_terms: D000485:Allergens; D000707:Anaphylaxis / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology / Q000276:immunology; D000818:Animals; D018926:Anti-Allergic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001831:Body Temperature / Q000187:drug effects; D016207:Cytokines / Q000276:immunology; D003967:Diarrhea / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology / Q000276:immunology; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005260:Female; D005512:Food Hypersensitivity / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology / Q000276:immunology; D007073:Immunoglobulin E / Q000097:blood; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000097:blood; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D010047:Ovalbumin; D008517:Phytotherapy; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D031364:Scutellaria baicalensis; D013154:Spleen / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D000485:Allergens; D018926:Anti-Allergic Agents; D016207:Cytokines; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D010936:Plant Extracts; C499814:Scutellaria baicalensis extract; D007073:Immunoglobulin E; D010047:Ovalbumin
keywords: Food allergy; IL-17; IgE; OVA; Skullcap; Th2 cytokines