Anti-allergic Effects of Malus rockii Rehd-derived Epicatechin against the Proteins from Moringa oleifera Leaves
Article
Figures
Metrics
Preview PDF
Reference
Related
Cited by
Materials
Abstract:
The anti-allergic effects of epicatechin (EC) derived from Malus rockii Rehd against reactions induced by the crude proteins of Moringa oleifera leaves (MOpA) were analyzed via anaphylaxis testing in a mouse model. The allergic symptoms of mice were observed and body mass, thymus index, and spleen index were measured. Meanwhile, the concentrations of histamine (HIS), interleukin-4 (IL-4), and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) were detected in mouse serum. Additionally, the pathological changes in the jejunum were examined via hematoxylin-eosin staining (H&E). The results showed that, following MOpA stimulation, the spleen index of the MC group was significantly higher than that of the NC group (P<0.01), and the thymus index differed significantly from that of the EC group (P<0.05). However, following treatment with epicatechin, the serum HIS content of the EC group decreased by 3.99×103 ng/L (P<0.01), whereas the TNF-α increased level by 97.33×103 pg/L (P<0.01) compared with those of the MC group. Furthermore, the IL-4 content decreased by 6.22×103 pg/L (P<0.05) in the EC group compared with the MC group. HE staining further revealed intestinal villi damage and atrophy in the MC group, whereas pathological changes were not apparent in the EC group. In summary, MOpA was found to elicit the same level of potential allergenicity as ovalbumin, milk protein, and peanut protein, whereas EC effectively ameliorated the allergic symptoms of MOpA-induced food allergy in mice by protecting the intestinal mucosal barrier and reducing inflammation. The findings of this study suggest that EC could serve as an effective food-derived immune regulator for the treatment of food allergies.
