Combination of fish oil and ethanol extracts from Spirulina platensis inhibits the airway inflammation induced by ovalbumin in mice

Chronic airway inflammation is the key process of bronchial asthma which is a serious disease harmful to human health. This study demonstrated the pharmacological effects of the combination of fish oil and ethanol extract of Spirulina platensis (CFS) on alleviation of asthma induced by ovalbumin (OVA) in mice. BALB/c mice were divided into 6 groups: normal, model, 1 mg/kg of dexamethasone, 0.4, 0.8 and 1.6 g/kg of CFS. All mice were administrated continuously for 84 days. All the groups except normal group were sensitized and challenged with OVA. The results showed that CFS inhibited the infiltration of inflammatory cells into lung and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) (P < .05, P < .01), regulated the levels of cytokines (interferon-γ, interleukin-4, interleukin-5, interleukin-13 and chemokine ligand 11) in BALF (P < .05, P < .01), weakened the content of OVA specific immunoglobulin E in serum (P < .05, P < .01). In conclusion, CFS inhibited the airway inflammation in OVA induced asthma in mice.