Sophorae Subprostratae Radix Extract for Prevention and Treatment of Respiratory Diseases

Abstract

The present invention relates to an extract isolated from Sophorae Radix useful for prevention and treatment of respiratory diseases. More specifically, the present invention relates to a pharmaceutical drug comprising the Sophorae Radix extract having excellent effects of inhibiting airway contraction, respiratory infections, 5-lipoxygenase activity, phosphodiesterase 4 activity, airway hyper-responsiveness and airway remodeling; antagonistic activity against leukotriene D4; and an antitussive effect, thus being useful for prevention and treatment of respiratory diseases such as asthma, acute or chronic bronchitis, allergic rhinitis, acute upper respiratory infections and acute lower respiratory infections, and the like.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION[0001]This invention relates to Sophorae Radix extract useful for prevention and treatment of respiratory diseases. This invention also relates to a pharmaceutical drug comprising Sophorae Radix extract useful for prevention and treatment of respiratory diseases due to their excellent effects in preventing airway contraction, respiratory infection, 5-lipoxygenase, phosphodiesterase 4, airway hyper-responsiveness or airway remodeling, leukotriene D4, as well as having an antitussive effect.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0002]Asthma is a typical respiratory disease having repetitive and spasmodically symptoms of difficulty in breathing, coughs and stridor. About 30% pediatric asthma patients start to show the symptoms within one year from birth while about 80% of asthma patients show the symptoms at the age of 4-5. In Korea, the rate of asthma outbreak is about 10%.[0003]The incidence rate of asthma varied to some extent depending on the country, race, age and the l...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0068]The method used was the method by M. H. Boskabady et al. (journal of Entnopharmacology 97, 2005, 79-82) with a bit of modifications.

[0069]A Hartley male guinea pig (450˜500 g, SLC, Japan) was orally administered with a drug. 1 hr after the administration, the guinea pig was placed in Double Chamber Plethysmograph Box (HSE, Germany) installed with plethysmometer and stabilized by allowing a 5 min of time for adaptation. After the stabilization, 0.6M citric acid was sprayed to the guinea pig for 7 min in the form of aerosol by preparing a compressed air under high pressure. The guinea pig was observed continuously by a trained observer and the number of coughs induced by the above spray of citric acid aerosol was measured by using a microphone and a speaker. The coughs were distinguished from a normal sneeze due to its particular signs such as a peculiar and high sound with its mouth open, movement of abdomen, and an instant change in air flow.

Problems solved by technology

So far there is no cure for asthma.

Although there are many methods and drugs which have been used for the prevention of spasm and complications due to asthma they have not been satisfactory.

However, if it is progressed into a chronic asthma, it results in swelling, tylosis and atrophy.

If the cause of bronchitis is due to infection, there often develops fever and chest pain, whereas if it is due to extrinsic factors, there often develops irritations on the mucus of mouth, nose, eye, etc.

Use of steroids or theophyllines for treating infections is not satisfactory.

Further, allergic and non-allergic rhinitis both serve as risk factors for developing asthma.

Other therapies such as use of drugs, surgeries, physical therapies but they are not considered as a complete cure.

First, they are all inflammatory diseases.

Second, contraction and relaxation of the respiratory tract does not perform normally thus making respiration difficult.

Nevertheless, bronchodilator drugs such as anti-cholinergic drugs, beta 2 receptor agonist, etc., are not effective in treating inflammation but they simply alleviate the symptoms.

Therefore, long-term use of the drugs may cause drug resistance and there is also a risk of exacerbation.

Steroids which are known effective in treating inflammation but they have serious side effects and are not suitable for long term use and also shown not effective in treating chronic bronchitis.

Therefore, the above two drugs have been prescribed to be combined for administration but the steroids drug has been formulated in an inhalation form rather than as one for oral administration due to its adverse effects thus lowering its compliance due to the difficulty in administration.

However, as stated above, various leukocytes and various cytokines and inflammatory mediators are involved in respiratory diseases, it is difficult to treat the respiratory diseases with a single ingredient chemical and thus a natural extract having various active ingredients and mechanism may be able to serve as an effective therapeutic drug.

Further, there appear to be many causes for respiratory diseases such as asthma, bronchitis, allergic rhinitis, acute lower respiratory infections(bronchitis, bronchiolitis, etc.), acute upper respiratory infection(tonsillitis, pharyngolaryngitis) but they are treated only for temporary release, and there is usually a problem of recurrence of the diseases after treatments.

However, the effect of Sophorae Radix extract on respiratory diseases has not been studied yet.

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