Antiallergic and antihistaminic effect of two extracts of Capparis spinosa L. flowering buds

Abstract

The antiallergic properties of two lyophilized extracts obtained from Capparis spinosa L. flowering buds (capers) by methanol extraction, carried out at room temperature (CAP-C) or with heating at 60 degrees C (CAP-H), were investigated. The protective effects of CAP-H and CAP-C, orally administered (14.28 mg[sol ]kg), were evaluated against Oleaceae antigen challenge-induced and histamine-induced bronchospasm in anaesthetized guinea-pigs. Furthermore, the histamine skin prick test was performed on humans, applying a gel formulation containing 2% CAP-C (the only extract able to protect against histamine-induced bronchospasm) on the skin for 1 h before histamine application and monitoring the erythema by reflectance spectrophotometry. The CAP-H showed a good protective effect against the bronchospasm induced by antigen challenge in sensitized guinea-pigs; conversely, a significant decrease in the responsiveness to histamine was seen only in CAP-C pretreated animals. Finally, the CAP-C gel formulation possessed a marked inhibitory effect (46.07%) against histamine-induced skin erythema. These two caper extracts displayed marked antiallergic effectiveness; however, the protective effect of CAP-H was very likely due to an indirect mechanism (for example, inhibition of mediator release from mast cells or production of arachidonic acid metabolites); conversely, CAP-C is endowed with direct antihistaminic properties. The different mechanisms of action of CAP-H and CAP-C may be related to a difference in the extraction procedure and, thus, in their qualitative[sol ]quantitative chemical profile.

Phenolic contents and antioxidant activity of ethanolic extract of Capparis spinosa

“…Several studies have linked plants rich in these compounds with their capacity to reduce the risk of several chronic and degenerative diseases including cancer, cardiovascular disorders as well as their free radical scavenging activity (Makris and Rossiter 2002;Mozaffarieh et al 2003;Trombetta et al 2005).…”

A new antioxidant compound fromCapparis spinosa

“…Capparis spinosa L., Caper, (Capparaeae) is a plant originating from dry regions in west or central Asia and spread particularly across the Mediterranean basin (Trombetta et al, 2005). The plant is widely distributed in the Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region of China.…”

Potential anthelmintic effect of Capparis spinosa (Capparidaceae) as related to its polyphenolic content and antioxidant activity

“…It is used for arteriosclerosis, as a diuretic, kidney disinfectant and vermifuge (Soyler and Khawar 2007). In more recent investigations, aqueous extracts of C. spinosa exhibited several pharmacological activities, including antifungal (Ali-Shtayeh and Abu Ghdeib 1999), anti-Leishmania (Jacobson and Schlein 1999), antibacterial (Mahasneh 2002), anti-hyperglycaemic (Eddouks et al 2004), chondrocyte-protective (Panico et al 2005), hypolipidaemic (Eddouks et al 2005), anti-allergenic, anti-histaminic (Trombetta et al 2005), antiviral and immuno-modulatory (Arena et al 2008) activities.…”