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영어

Anthocyanins belong to a group of flavonoid compounds and are well known for their various health beneficial effects including antioxidative activities. Among them, the major anthocyanins isolated from the seed coat of black soybean (Glycine max L.) were previously characterized as glycosides having glucopyranose. Asthma is an allergic disease that is strongly associated with various immune cells including basophils and mast cells. Eosinophils, basophils and mast cells play important roles in asthma through the release of inflammatory mediators such as athma-specific T-helper (Th)2 cytokines and subsequent amplification of asthma symptoms by their degranulation. Rat basophilic leukemia RBL-2H3 cells was the most common in vitro models used for evaluating asthmatic reactions. We examined the effects of anthocyanin from the seed coat of black soybean (Glycine max L.) on the antigen-stimulated degranulation and Th2 cytokines production in RBL-2H3. Cell degranulation was evaluated by detecting the release of β -hexosaminidase. The β-hexosaminidase release and Th2 cytokine production in RBL-2H3 cells upon stimulation with IgE-antigen complex was much higher those that in untreated control cells. Anthocyanins significantly suppressed the IgE-antigen complex-induced degranulation of RBL-2H3 and inhibited IgE-antigen complex-mediated interleukin (IL)-4, IL-13 and TNF-α production in RBL-2H3 cells. These findings suggest that anthocyanins from the seed coat of black soybean (Glycine max L.) effectively inhibit asthmatic reactions and may have beneficial effects against allergic asthma.