The effects of extracts from various Oriental medicinal herbs on mast-cell-mediated allergic reactions were investigated in this study. Out of these extracts, the medicinal herb Atractylodis rhizoma alba exhibited the most potent activity in the cells, with IC50 values of 20.5 μg/ml, by DNP-BSA and 33.04 μg/ml, by compound 48/80. Similar to the in vitro activity, Atractylodis rhizoma alba inhibited compound-48/80-induced systemic anaphylaxis by 31.3% at 300 mg/kg in mice. It also suppressed the secretion of TNF-α, a major pro-inflammatory cytokine in the cells. These results may suggest that Atractylodis rhizoma alba shows anti-allergic activity in compound 48/80-induced anaphylactic mice through the inhibition of mast cells.

• Young-Mi Kim