Science: coralline berry leaf extract is expected to treat asthma

Coral Berry (Latin name is Ardisia crenata) may provide new hope for asthma patients In a new study, researchers from the University of Bonn in Germany and the University of Nottingham hospital in the UK extracted an active drug ingredient from the leaves of coralline berries to fight asthma In mice, it almost completely inhibited the characteristic contraction of the airway This plant can be found in any well stocked garden center The relevant research results were published in the Journal of Science Translational Medicine on September 13, 2017, with the title of "targeted involvement of GQ signaling causes airway relaxations in mouse models of ASTM a" The corresponding authors of this paper are Dr Daniela Wenzel and Dr Bernd K Fleischmann of Bonn University For most of the year, coralline berries are not beautiful horticultural plants But in winter, that changes - it forms bright red berries, which make it a popular ornamental during the festival However, another reason the researchers involved in the study are interested in the plant is that its leaves contain a substance called fr900359 It may be suitable as a medicine for some diseases, but corals have been largely ignored so far Now, in this new study, these researchers may have changed that They found that fr900359 effectively prevented bronchomuscular contraction Asthmatics often suffer from these obvious contractions, which prevent the lungs from ventilating adequately The resulting shortness of breath can be life-threatening More effective than commonly used drugs, the new compound relieves these spasms and has a longer-lasting effect than the most common antiasthmatic drug, salbutamol "So far, however, we have only tested the substance in asthmatic mice," Wenzel said The researchers successfully isolated and described the active drug from the leaves of coralline berries "This compound inhibits the key signaling molecule in our cells, the Gq protein," Wenzel explained Gq protein plays a key role in many processes in the body, including controlling airway elasticity Under normal circumstances, the interaction of multiple signaling pathways can lead to airway narrowing Inhibition of a single signaling pathway can reduce respiratory tract contraction However, in patients with severe asthma, this may not completely prevent this contraction These contractile signals are pooled on Gq protein and trigger respiratory spasm events Dr Michaela Matthey, the first author of the paper, said, "when we use fr900359 to inhibit the activation of Gq protein, we will achieve greater effect." In this study, this was particularly effective in asthmatic mice "We were able to prevent these mice from responding to allergens, such as house dust mites, which can narrow the bronchi," Wenzel reported This has little side effects because the active drug ingredient is administered by inhalation into the respiratory tract and thus only reaches the circulatory system in small quantities However, it is not clear whether the substance is suitable for human body Although these researchers have confirmed that human bronchomuscular cells and isolated human airway respond similarly in vitro, it may take years for further tests to be carried out before human use.