ALLER-7® Demonstrates Potent Antioxidant Action In vitro

Aller-7®, a botanical formula consisting of seven medicinal plant extracts, was developed to promote immune health and normal breathing. Affecting about 60 million people worldwide, allergic rhinitis (commonly called hay fever) is an inflammation or irritation of the mucous membranes that line the nose caused by an over-active immune system in response to airborne allergens such as pollen or dust. Antioxidants are vital to a healthy immune system. To evaluate the antioxidant properties of Aller-7®, researchers compared the ability of Aller-7® and other known free radical scavengers to inhibit three important inflammatory mediators of bronchial constriction and lung tissue damage. In this study, IC50 is the concentration of a compound (or compounds) that inhibit 50% of the radical activity measured. Lower IC50 values indicate greater effectiveness. For superoxide radical, the Aller-7® IC50 value was less than that of catechins (commonly found in tea), and similar to the value for gallic acid, an individual component of Aller-7®. The Aller-7® IC50 value against nitric oxide was lower than that for curcuminoids, components of the spice turmeric. Aller-7® was also more efficient than the catechins in scavenging hydroxyl radical, with IC50 values of 741.7 and 2,193.4, respectively. These results show that the dietary supplement Aller-7® is a potent free radical scavenger in vitro, with the potential to serve as a novel antioxidant.

Source: D'Souza P, Amit A, Saxena VS, Bagchi D, Bagchi M, Antioxidant Properties of Aller-7, a Novel PolyHerbal Formulation for Allergic Rhinitis, Drugs Under Experimental and Clinical Research, XXX:99-109, 2004.