Anti-allergic effect of bee pollen phenolic extract and myricetin in ovalbumin-sensitized mice

Ethnopharmacological relevanceThe bee pollen is used in folk medicine to alleviate allergic reactions. The bee pollen phenolic extract (BPPE) consists in phenolic compounds (flavonoids) from plants picked by Apis mellifera bee.Aim of this studyHere we evaluated the anti-allergic property of the BPPE and the flavonoid myricetin (MYR) in murine model of ovalbumin (OVA)-induced allergy.Materials and methodsThe study focused on the BPPE or myricetin treatment of OVA-sensitized BALB/c mice and their effects on the IgE and IgG1 production, pulmonary cell migration, eosinophil peroxidase (EPO) activity and anaphylactic shock reaction.ResultsThe BPPE treatment (200 mg/kg) showed inhibition of the paw edema, IgE and IgG1 OVA-specific production, leukocyte migration to the bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) and EPO activity in lungs. In addition, BPPE treatment showed partial protection on the anaphylactic shock reaction induced by OVA. Treatment with myricetin (5 mg/kg) also inhibited pulmonary cell migration and IgE and IgG1 OVA-specific production.ConclusionsThese results support the hypothesis the myricetin is one of the flavonoids of BPPE responsible for the anti-allergic effect and a potential tool to treat allergies.