Mast Cell Stabilizing Potential of Plants Containing Polyphenols: A Review

Mast cells play a vital role in the defence of the human body. Mast cell degranulation has been implicated in various ailments including allergies, bronchial asthma, interstitial cystitis, breast cancer, urticaria, etc. Hence mast cell stabilizers play a significant role in the prevention of these disorders. The primary objective of this review is to study the reports on different plants containing polyphenols with significant mast cell stabilizing activity. It includes findings from numerous studies both in vitro and in vivo indicating the potential benefits of polyphenol rich plants in mast cell stabilization. Various databases such as Pubmed, Google Scholar, Science direct, etc. were searched to collect reports on plants containing polyphenols investigated as mast cell stabilizers from the time period 1995-2015. The large number of plants described in this review clearly demonstrated the importance of polyphenol-rich plants in the mast cell stabilization. Literature shows that such plants significantly prevent mast cell degranulation by diverse mechanisms including inhibiting histamine release, reducing production of mediators of inflammation and antioxidant activity in various allergic/immune reactions in experimental models. Plants containing polyphenols/plantderived polyphenols may serve as good sources for developing effective and safe mast cell stabilizers.