Anti-histaminic and Mast Cell Stabilizing Activity of a Fern-lygodium Flexuosum

Increasing pollution has elicited various airway complications of which the Allergic asthma is one. Manifestation of allergic asthma is always associated with anaphylaxis and mast cell degranulation. In the pursuit of new herbal drugs to prevent or treat allergic asthma, Lygodium flexuosum was studied for its anti-histaminic and mast cell stabilizing activity. In the present study rats were sensitized by injecting horse serum and triple antigen. The ethanolic extract at 250 mg/kg and 500 mg/kg showed intact mast cells 70.67% and 72.00% while the 250 mg/kg and 500 mg/kg of aqueous extract showed 69.17% and 70.33%, respectively. Both the extracts at two different doses also showed protective activity in vitro passive mast cell degranulation and systemic anaphylaxis in mice. The percent protection shown by the two extracts were also noteworthy in case of compound 48/80 induced mast cell degranulation assay. To further elucidate the role of this fern in anaphylaxis and anti-histaminic principles the nitric oxide level in serum and peritoneal fluid and Histamine content were carried out in whole blood, respectively. At the end, antigen-antibody interaction was monitored which validated the beneficial effects of the climbing fern, Lygodium flexuosum in allergic asthma.