GINGER WITH HONEY PREVENTS TH2-MEDIATED IMMUNE RESPONSES IN A MOUSE MODEL OF AIRWAY INFLAMMATION

In traditional medicine, people use the association of ginger and honey to treat some respiratory disorder. The aim of the present study was to examine the effects of the association of ginger and honey on respiratory disorder in mice. Here we showed that ginger-honey can exert such functions in vivo, namely in a mouse model of Th2-mediated pulmonary inflammation. Intraperitoneal injections of Ginger-Honey aqueous extract (GHae) before airway challenge of ovalbumin (OVA)-sensitized mice resulted in a marked decrease in the recruitment of eosinophils to the lungs as attested by cell counts in bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluids. Resolution of airway inflammation induced by GHae was accompanied by a suppression of the Th2 cell-driven response to allergen in vivo. Thus, IL-4 and eotaxin levels in the lungs were clearly diminished in ginger-honey-treated mice relative to their controls after allergen sensitization and challenge. Ginger-Honey can suppress Th2-mediated immune responses and might thus provide a possible therapeutic application in inflammation.