| Summary: | The ethanolic (EtOH) and water extracts of six plants including Piper nigrum, Streblus asper, Cyperus rotundus, Tinospora crispa, Diospyros rhodocalyx and Albizia procera used in Thai traditional longevity formulation, were examined for anti-allergic activity on antigen-induced b-hexosaminidase release from RBL-2H3 cells (rat-basophilic leukemia cell line), a tumor analog of mast cell. It was revealed that Piper nigrum (EtOH) extract exhibited the most potent activity with an IC<sub>50</sub> value of 14.0 μg/ml, which was higher than that of ketotifen fumarate, a positive control IC<sub>50</sub> = 20.2 μg/ml). It was also found that the preparations of Piper-Diospyros (EtOH) and Piper-Tinospora (EtOH) in the ratio of 1 : 1 appreciably inhibited antigen-induced degranulation in RBL-2H3 cells with IC<sub>50</sub> values of 23.5 and 26.7 μg/ml, respectively. The antiallergic effects of these two preparations were higher than that of the original longevity formulation (IC<sub>50</sub> = 66.6 μg/ml).
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