Abstract
Air pollutants pose a major environmental threat to the respiratory system. Pathogen invasion and the exposure to particulate matters in atmospheric air, particularly, cigarette smoke (CS), have been found to be associated with acute and chronic respiratory diseases, including asthma. Therefore, the search for agents that can protect the respiratory system against potentially harmful substances is of interest in preventive health. Lily bulb Nectar (LBN), which contains Lily bulb, Pyrus pyrifolia N., Siraitia grosvenorii and Apricot kernel as its ingredients, is a health supplement intended to improve the wellness of the respiratory system in humans. Lily bulb, Pyrus pyrifolia N., Siraitia grosvenorii and Apricot kernel are commonly prescribed for the treatment of respiratory tract disorders such as bronchitis, pneumonia and cough in the practice of traditional Chinese medicine. Pharmacological studies have shown that these herbs can produce beneficial effects on the respiratory tract or even the lungs. In the present study, we investigated the effects of LBN on mouse respiratory tract function under normal and challenged conditions. LBN was first examined for its expectorant and anti-tussive activities in mice. The effect of LBN on long-term exposure to CS was also investigated. Our findings showed that long-term LBN treatment enhanced the expectorant activity and suppressed the SO2-induced coughing in mice. LBN treatment also suppressed the CS-induced inflammation in the respiratory tract, as assessed by differential cell count and cytokine production. In conclusion, long-term LBN consumption may produce beneficial effects on the respiratory tract function in humans, particularly in the face of challenge by irritants in the inhaling air.
Highlights
Atmospheric air, which is the main source of oxygen, is essential for the survival of aerobic organisms
ELISA kits for immunoglobulin G (IgG), interleukin-8 and secretory immunoglobulin A were purchased from Cusabio Biotech Co., Ltd. (Suffolk, UK), whereas ELISA kits for interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) were purchased from Life Technologies (Grand Island, NY)
Whereas NH4Cl caused an increase in expectorant activity by 105% in mice, long-term Lily bulb Nectar (LBN) treatment, at a daily dose of 24.6 g/kg, significantly increased the expectorant activity by 30%, when compared with the untreated control (Figure 3)
Summary
Atmospheric air, which is the main source of oxygen, is essential for the survival of aerobic organisms. The air microbes and pollutants were found to be associated with a broad spectrum of acute and chronic illnesses, such as lung cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, asthma and even cardiovascular diseases [7] To cope with these challenges, the lungs are equipped with sophisticated defense mechanisms, which operate in a coordinated fashion to expel foreign particles from the respiratory tract. Cough reflex is triggered by mechanical or chemical stimuli on the epithelium of larynx or tracheobronchial tree It prevents the accumulation of mucus secretion and helps eliminate the inhaled particles from the lower respiratory tract [8] [9]. The anti-tussive and anti-inflammatory activities were examined in the mouse model of SO2-induced coughing and CS-induced inflammation in the respiratory tract
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