Peanut and other food allergies are on the rise among children. In fact, so much so that at least one Utah school in Park City and the Granite School District have gone peanut-free, according to the Deseret News.
Peanut allergy symptoms can range from mild, such as redness and swelling, itching throat and digestive problems, to the life threatening – anaphylaxis. Anaphylaxis is a severe allergic reaction, which results in constriction of the airway. It is a medical emergency that requires immediate professional medical attention.
When an allergic person is exposed to an antigen, like peanuts, immunoglobulin-E (IgE) is produced by their immune system to protect against the antigen. The antigen then binds to IgE, producing a cascade of inflammatory and immune responses throughout the body. These responses cause allergic reactions, which can include anaphylaxis.
Now researchers at Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York say they have discovered two Chinese herbs, Rubia cordifolia and Dianthus superbus, that can suppress peanut-induced anaphylaxis in animal models.
Research scientists tested 70 herbs in vitro for their ability to inhibit IgE production. Of the 70 herbs, 49 inhibited IgE production by less than 50 percent, 9 inhibited between 50 and 80 percent, and 12 inhibited more than 80 percent. Rubia cordifolia and Dianthus superbus demonstrated remarkable effectiveness at 100 mcg dosages and were selected for further testing.
The study authors’ sensitized female mice with 200 mcg of peanut extract and then administered a challenge dose of 1000 mcg to stimulate an allergic reaction. What scientists found was that Rubia cordifolia and Dianthus superbus extracts reduced histamine and IgE production, therefore preventing anaphylaxis.
Quite the opposite was observed in the control mice that did not receive the herbal extracts. All mice in the control group developed anaphylactic reactions and significantly elevated histamine levels.
Findings were published online, ahead of print in the September 2011 edition of Chinese Medicine.
Rubia cordifolia and Dianthus superbus appear to be great candidates for use as therapeutic agents to prevent peanut-induced anaphylaxis.
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