Exploring the anti-inflammatory effects of Lavandula stoechas L. extract on ovalbumin-induced acute asthma in BALB/c mice.

Abstract

Objective: Asthma is an inflammatory disease of the respiratory system affecting over 300 million people worldwide. Lavandula stoechas L. (L. stoechas) has traditionally been used to manage inflammatory diseases and against multiple medical conditions. In this study, we aimed to explore the anti-inflammatory effects of the hydro-alcoholic extract of L. stoechas in a mice model of acute asthma.

Materials and methods: Thirty-five male BALB/c mice were placed into five distinct study groups: (1) control, (2) ovalbumin (OVA) + Al(OH)3, (3) OVA + L. stoechas (200 mg/kg), (4) OVA + L. stoechas (300 mg/kg) and (5) OVA + dexamethasone. Sensitization of the mice involved intraperitoneal administration of 75 µg OVA + 2mg Al(OH)3 on days 1 and 8. Subsequently, between days 15 and 17, the mice underwent intranasal challenges with 50 µg of OVA. On days 13-18, the mice were administered either L. stoechas (200 and 300 mg/kg) orally or dexamethasone intraperitoneally (used as a positive control). On day 19, both bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid and lung tissue samples were collected for biochemical and immuno-histological analyses.

Results: The L. stoechas extract-treated groups displayed notable reductions in histological alterations and inflammatory cell infiltration, surpassing the effects observed in the OVA group. Moreover, the L. stoechas treatment group exhibited lowered TNF-α and IL-6 expression levels.

Conclusion: Our results demonstrated the potential of L. stoechas as an anti-inflammatory agent in acute asthma.