A new plant against hay fever

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Plant Extract May Be New Therapy for Hay Fever, Study Suggests

Electron micrograph of birch pollen. (Credit: Dr. Ingrid Weichenmeier, ZAUM)

ScienceDaily (Apr. 30, 2011) — Fighting hay fever with a plant extract -- this

works, as was shown in a clinical study conducted by researchers of the Center

of Allergy & Environment (ZAUM) of Helmholtz Zentrum München and Technische

Universität München. Allergic symptoms were alleviated significantly better than

with the usual histamine receptor antagonists. In a paper published in the

Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology the scientists explained how this

plant extract works and how effective it is.

Antihistamine medications have long been considered the treatment of choice to

alleviate the symptoms of hay fever sufferers. Now, in a randomized double-blind

study, Dr. Adam Chaker and Prof. Dr. Carsten Schmidt-Weber demonstrated that the

plant extract Ze 339 (Petasol butenoate complex) combats nasal mucosa swelling

faster and more effectively.

Apparently, however, the extract not only works in acute cases -- " Our data

indicate that the extract also has a preventive effect, which must be

investigated further, " said Dr. Schmidt-Weber, head of the Center of Allergy &

Environment (ZAUM) in Munich. The results look promising for improving the

quality of life of people with allergies.

So far the plant extract has only been approved as a drug in Switzerland and

South Korea. Further studies need to be carried out in order to allow it to be

sold as a prescription drug elsewhere.

The above story is reprinted (with editorial adaptations by ScienceDaily staff)

from materials provided by Helmholtz Zentrum Muenchen - German Research Centre

for Environmental Health.

Journal Reference:

Alina F. Dumitru, Mohamed Shamji, Wagenmann, Simone Hindersin, Kathrin

Scheckenbach, Jens Greve, Klenzner, Lorenzo Hess, Sabine Nebel, Christian

Zimmermann, Zahner, Carsten B. Schmidt-Weber, Adam M. Chaker. Petasol

butenoate complex (Ze 339) relieves allergic rhinitis–induced nasal obstruction

more effectively than desloratadine. Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology,

2011; DOI: 10.1016/j.jaci.2011.02.045