Asthma is a disease characterized by recurrent attacks of breathlessness and wheezing, which vary in severity and frequency from person to person 1. The currently used drugs for the treatment of this disease in modern medicine are so far from satisfactory as they provide only symptomatic relief, produce several adverse effects and may lose effectiveness on continued use. The Anti-asthmatic activity of Moringa Oleifera Lam. root was studied against histamine and Ach induced bronchospasm in guinea pigs, against agonist induced contraction of Guinea pig ileum and against egg albumin induced rat peritoneal mast cell degranulation. Activity was also studied using bronchoalveolarlavaged (BAL) fluid of guinea pigs and by carrying out histopathology of egg albumin sensitized guinea pig lung. Treatment with M.Oleifera increased PreConvulsion Time of guinea pigs against histamine as well as Ach induced bronchospasm. M.Oleifera also showed dose dependent inhibition of agonist induced contraction on guinea pig ileum. Egg albumin induced mast cell degranulation was inhibited by M.Oleifera. Treatment with M.Oleifera for 15 days resulted in significant decrease in Total Leukocytes Count (TLC) as well as Differential Leukocytes Count (DLC) in BAL fluid. M.Oleifera shown bronchodilator activity, non-specific spasmolytic activity and mast cell stabilizing activities. Also it inhibits the migration of leukocytes on exposure to antigens, thus confirming its anti-asthmatics activity.
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