Abstract
Allium genus plants, such as leek (Allium porrum), are rich sources of anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant secondary metabolites; this is of interest because it demonstrates their suitability as pharmacological alternatives for inflammatory processes, including allergy treatment. The composition of methanolic leek extract (LE) was analyzed by GC–MS and LC–IT/MS, and the total phenolic content and antioxidant capacity were quantified by colorimetric methods. Its pharmacological potential was analyzed in human bronchial epithelial Calu-3 cells, human mast cells LAD2, and humanized rat basophiles RBL-2H3. LE exhibited a cytotoxic effect on Calu-3 cells and HumRBL-2H3 cells only at high concentrations and in a dose-dependent manner. Moreover, LE decreased the degranulation of LAD2 and HumRBL-2H3 cells. LE treatment also significantly prevented alterations in transepithelial electrical resistance values and mRNA levels of glutathione-S-transferase (GST), c-Jun, and NFκB after treatment with H2O2 in ALI-cultured Calu-3 cells. Finally, ALI-cultured Calu-3 cells treated with LE showed lower permeability to Ole e 1 compared to untreated cells. A reduction in IL-6 secretion in ALI-cultured Calu-3 cells treated with LE was also observed. In summary, the results obtained in this work suggest that A. porrum extract may have potential anti-allergic effects due to its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. This study provides several important insights into how LE can protect against allergy.
Highlights
Plants have been used for medicinal purposes since prehistoric times
The results obtained in this work suggest that A. porrum extract may have potential anti-allergic effects due to its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties
We investigated the effect of leek extract (LE) on both human bronchial epithelial and mast cells
Summary
Plants have been used for medicinal purposes since prehistoric times. They synthetize a wide variety of active compounds, named phytochemicals, with a potential use in drug development. The World Allergy Organization (WAO) has estimated that between 10–40% of the global population is affected by some type of allergic diseases, and it is predicted that their prevalence will continue to increase worldwide, representing a major global public health issue [2] These inflammatory diseases are characterized by an exacerbated T helper 2 (Th2)-type immune response and the production of high levels of serum immunoglobulin E (IgE) against substances (named allergens). Corticosteroids are usually administered to control these pathological processes, long-term steroid treatment could cause side effects such as hypertension, cataracts, and osteoporosis [3] Drugs such as ketotifen and sodium cromoglycate (a khellin derivative obtained from the Ammi visnaga plant [4]) are the most commonly used mast cell stabilizers for the treatment of bronchial asthma and allergic conjunctivitis [5]. Individual phytochemicals were identified in the methanolic LE and their antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, membrane permeability, and cytotoxic activities were assayed
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