The extract Ze 339 obtained from leaves of the petasin chemovariety (Petzell) inhibits the allergen induced Th-2 response and the hyper-reactivity in asthma

Objective Epidemiological studies have shown that allergic rhinitis and allergic asthma often coexist in the same subject. The extract Ze 339 obtained by means of fluid CO2 (sub-critical fluid extraction) from the leaves of Petasites hybridus L. has been proven active in allergic rhinitis. Therefore the question arose whether or not the extract will also be useful in allergic asthma. A murine model of allergeninduced airways inflammation is well elaborated [1, 2] with an increase in IL-4 and IL-5 in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BAL), eosinophile recruitment into the lung tissue indicating that the allergic…