Anti-histamine effect of Rubia tibetica, used to treat anaphylaxis caused by tick bites in the Pamir Mountains, Afghanistan

Anne S. Jeppesen; Uffe Kristiansen; Jens Soelberg; Anna K. Jäger

doi:10.1016/j.jep.2012.03.035

Anti-histamine effect of Rubia tibetica, used to treat anaphylaxis caused by tick bites in the Pamir Mountains, Afghanistan

Anne S. Jeppesen, Uffe Kristiansen, Jens Soelberg, Anna K. Jäger^*

^*Corresponding author for this work

2 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Ethnopharmacological relevance: The roots of Rubia tibetica are chewed as an antidote to anaphylaxis caused by bites of the tick Ornithodoros lahorensis by the Wakhi people in Afghanistan. Aims of the study: To test whether Rubia tibetica possess anti-histamine effect. Materials and methods: Water and ethanol extracts of roots of Rubia tibetica were tested for anti-histamine effect on the H ₁-receptor in the guinea pig ileum assay. Fixed concentrations of plant extract with increasing concentrations of histamine were examined. Mepyramine was used as control. Results and conclusion: The ethanol extract of Rubia tibetica showed dose-dependent anti-histamine effect, whereas the water extract had little activity. The chewing of Rubia tibetica roots may alleviate the fatal swelling of the tongue during anaphylaxis.

Original language	English
Journal	Journal of Ethnopharmacology
Volume	141
Issue number	3
Pages (from-to)	1077-1079
Number of pages	3
ISSN	0378-8741
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jep.2012.03.035
Publication status	Published - 14 Jun 2012

Keywords

Anaphylaxis
Guinea pig ileum
Histamine
Ornithodoros lahorensis
Pamir
Rubia tibetica
Tick
Wakhan

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10.1016/j.jep.2012.03.035

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@article{da8448e1b1bf48178fd9da06faceb766,

title = "Anti-histamine effect of Rubia tibetica, used to treat anaphylaxis caused by tick bites in the Pamir Mountains, Afghanistan",

abstract = "Ethnopharmacological relevance: The roots of Rubia tibetica are chewed as an antidote to anaphylaxis caused by bites of the tick Ornithodoros lahorensis by the Wakhi people in Afghanistan. Aims of the study: To test whether Rubia tibetica possess anti-histamine effect. Materials and methods: Water and ethanol extracts of roots of Rubia tibetica were tested for anti-histamine effect on the H 1-receptor in the guinea pig ileum assay. Fixed concentrations of plant extract with increasing concentrations of histamine were examined. Mepyramine was used as control. Results and conclusion: The ethanol extract of Rubia tibetica showed dose-dependent anti-histamine effect, whereas the water extract had little activity. The chewing of Rubia tibetica roots may alleviate the fatal swelling of the tongue during anaphylaxis.",

keywords = "Anaphylaxis, Guinea pig ileum, Histamine, Ornithodoros lahorensis, Pamir, Rubia tibetica, Tick, Wakhan",

author = "Jeppesen, {Anne S.} and Uffe Kristiansen and Jens Soelberg and J{\"a}ger, {Anna K.}",

year = "2012",

month = jun,

day = "14",

doi = "10.1016/j.jep.2012.03.035",

language = "English",

volume = "141",

pages = "1077--1079",

journal = "Journal of Ethnopharmacology",

issn = "0378-8741",

publisher = "Elsevier Ireland Ltd",

number = "3",

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TY - JOUR

T1 - Anti-histamine effect of Rubia tibetica, used to treat anaphylaxis caused by tick bites in the Pamir Mountains, Afghanistan

AU - Jeppesen, Anne S.

AU - Kristiansen, Uffe

AU - Soelberg, Jens

AU - Jäger, Anna K.

PY - 2012/6/14

Y1 - 2012/6/14

N2 - Ethnopharmacological relevance: The roots of Rubia tibetica are chewed as an antidote to anaphylaxis caused by bites of the tick Ornithodoros lahorensis by the Wakhi people in Afghanistan. Aims of the study: To test whether Rubia tibetica possess anti-histamine effect. Materials and methods: Water and ethanol extracts of roots of Rubia tibetica were tested for anti-histamine effect on the H 1-receptor in the guinea pig ileum assay. Fixed concentrations of plant extract with increasing concentrations of histamine were examined. Mepyramine was used as control. Results and conclusion: The ethanol extract of Rubia tibetica showed dose-dependent anti-histamine effect, whereas the water extract had little activity. The chewing of Rubia tibetica roots may alleviate the fatal swelling of the tongue during anaphylaxis.

AB - Ethnopharmacological relevance: The roots of Rubia tibetica are chewed as an antidote to anaphylaxis caused by bites of the tick Ornithodoros lahorensis by the Wakhi people in Afghanistan. Aims of the study: To test whether Rubia tibetica possess anti-histamine effect. Materials and methods: Water and ethanol extracts of roots of Rubia tibetica were tested for anti-histamine effect on the H 1-receptor in the guinea pig ileum assay. Fixed concentrations of plant extract with increasing concentrations of histamine were examined. Mepyramine was used as control. Results and conclusion: The ethanol extract of Rubia tibetica showed dose-dependent anti-histamine effect, whereas the water extract had little activity. The chewing of Rubia tibetica roots may alleviate the fatal swelling of the tongue during anaphylaxis.

KW - Anaphylaxis

KW - Guinea pig ileum

KW - Histamine

KW - Ornithodoros lahorensis

KW - Pamir

KW - Rubia tibetica

KW - Tick

KW - Wakhan

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84861334214&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1016/j.jep.2012.03.035

DO - 10.1016/j.jep.2012.03.035

M3 - Letter

AN - SCOPUS:84861334214

SN - 0378-8741

VL - 141

SP - 1077

EP - 1079

JO - Journal of Ethnopharmacology

JF - Journal of Ethnopharmacology

IS - 3

ER -

Anti-histamine effect of Rubia tibetica, used to treat anaphylaxis caused by tick bites in the Pamir Mountains, Afghanistan

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Keywords

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