Herb for allergies

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..... The leaves of Perilla frutescens Britton (Labiatae) are one of the most popular garnishes in Japan, used as an antidote for fi sh and crab meat allergy or as a food colorant. The present study was conducted to evaluate its anti-allergic effect and to identify its active constituents using mice ear-passive cutaneous anaphylaxis (PCA)-reaction. 48 h after the cutaneous injection of anti-ovalbumin serum into the ears of mice, ovalbumin and evansblue dye were intravenously injected. Perilla was extracted with boiling water, and intraperitoneally injected 15 min before ovalbumin-treatment. Thirty min after ovalbumin-treatment, the ears were removed and the colorant in the ear was colorimetrically quantitated. Perilla extract significantly suppressed the PCA-reaction, which was brought about by rosmarinic acid with a partial contribution from some macromolecular compounds. The anti-allergic titer of rosmarinic acid was more effective than tranilast, which is a modern anti-allergic drug. Perilla and rosmarinic acid are potentially promising agents for the treatment of allergic diseases. Copyright 2003 Wiley & Sons, Ltd. PMID: 12672153

Perilla frutescens (Green Shiso; Egoma syn. Perilla nankinensis (Lour.) Decne.) is an ornamental plant in the Lamiaceae family. Its leaves are used as foods in Japan and its seeds are used to make edible oil in Korea. The leaves are also eaten in Korea. Sometimes, the seeds are ground and added to soup for seasoning in Korea. It is used in traditional Chinese medicine.