German researchers have extracted an active ingredient from the leaves of a common plant, crenellated ardisia. It would be more efficient than Ventolin.
You don’t always have to go very far to find substances that are useful for medicine. A few years ago, researchers at NASA and the University of Chicago launched the ILIAD project. Collection kits are sent to individuals hoping to find antibiotic substances in the nature around them.
This time, a substance was extracted from a relatively ordinary decorative plant, which could prove very effective in the treatment of asthma. German researchers have in fact identified that theArdisia crenata, or crenellated ardisia, contained a product with the sweet name of FR900359. In mice, it would relieve airway spasms more effectively than salbutamol, the drug most used in the treatment of asthma attacks.
Not there for decoration
There is nothing exceptional about the plant. It is native to Asia, and has spread around the world because it is used for decorative purposes. Its leaves, as the name suggests, are crenellated, and its decorative interest lies in the appearance of red berries during the winter.
It had aroused, until now, little scientific interest. But the results of researchers from the University of Bonn (Germany), presented in an article by Science Translational Medicine showed that the FR900359 contained in the leaves was very effective in preventing contractions of the bronchial muscles. This makes it a prime candidate for the treatment of asthmatic spasms.
In asthmatic mice
The compound inhibits Gq molecules, which are involved in many metabolic processes, including that leading to the narrowing of the airways during asthma attacks, explains Dr. Daniela Wenzel, researcher at the Institute of Physiology at the University of Bonn , lead author of the study. The inhibition of the action of this molecule would be enough to reduce the symptoms.
“That said, we have only tested the substance on asthmatic mice,” she tempers, before rejoicing at having succeeded in “preventing bronchial reactions to allergens such as dust mites”. The substance is not known to cause side effects. It has not yet been tested in humans, but tests on human cells in the laboratory have shown results similar to those obtained in mice.
In France, 4 million people suffer from asthma. It is severe in about 300,000 of them. For all these patients who cannot be cured, crenellated ardisia could represent an interesting alternative, if it proves to be effective. In a few years, the time to conduct clinical trials …
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