The present study was undertaken to investigate the effect of water extract of the flower malva plant (Malva parviflora) as an anti-inflammatory and anti-allergic on allergen-induced eosinophilia by inducing three models of inflammation. The models were asthma, peritonitis and pleurisy.The results of the present study indicate that the intranasal challenge (i.n.), intraperitoneal (i.p.) injection and intrathoracic (i.t.) injection to mice sensitized with ovalbumin chicken (OVA) induced eosinophil accumulation in the brochoalveolar lavage (BAL), in the peritoneal cavity and in the pleural cavity, respectively. The asthma model was chosen to determine the specified dose, the appropriate time and the route of administration of the extract. The results of the present investigation showed that daily oral administration (50 mg/kg p.o.) of the extract on day 0 of sensitization to the day of challenge, exactly one hour before challenge was more effective than i.p. and subcutaneous s.c. administration. Treatment with flowerÂ’s extract in actively sensitized mice challenged by OVA either i.n., i.p., or i.t. showed a reduction in the number of both leukocytes and eosinophils. However, serum IgE level was reduced in case of asthma and pleurisy model but no reduction in the antibody production in the peritonitis. The present data suggested that, pretreatment with malva flower extract inhibits the cell migration in the asthma, peritonitis and pleurisy model. This inhibition extends to the systemic immunoglobulin response IgE against OVA particularly in the asthma and pleurisy model.
Key words: Malva parviflora, eosinophil infiltration, asthma, peritonitis, pleurisy
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