Table 1.
Pharmacological effects of the effective medicinal herbs on COPD and asthma
| Scientific name | Common name | Persian name | Family name | Persian medicine effects | Scientific studies |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Medicinal herbs used in COPD | |||||
| Zataria multiflora | Shirazi Thyme | Avishan-e-Shirazi | Lamiaceae | Helping the clearance of airways (7). | Improving clinical symptoms, lung function tests and reducing oxidative stress (23). |
| Thymus vulgaris | Thyme | Avishan | Lamiaceae | Helping the clearance of airways (7). | Decreasing extracellular Ca2+ concentrations and increasing the cilia beat frequency in airway epithelia (24). |
| Glycyrrhiza glabra | Licorice | Shirinbayan | Fabaceae | Helping the clearance of airways, is an emollient for bronchial tree (7). | Modulation of airway inflammation in combination with some other medicinal herbs (25). |
| Crocus sativus | Saffron | Za’faran | Iridaceae | Improving breathing and the state of respiratory system (7). | Protection against lung injury due to COPD and resulted cardiac dysfunction by Crocin co-treatment (26). |
| Nepeta bracteata | Zoofa | Zoofa | Lamiaceae | Effective on chronic cough and dyspnea (7) | Improving the COPD Assessment Test (CAT) score, FEV1 and FEV1/FVC (27). |
| Hyssopus officinalis | Hyssop | Zoofa | Lamiaceae | Effective on chronic cough and dyspnea (7). | Reducing the IL-4 and IL-17 level and increasing the IFN-λ and IL-10 level (28) |
| Medicinal herbs used in asthma | |||||
| Cordia myxa | Lasura (Assyrian plum) | Sepestan | Boraginaceae | Emollient effect on respiratory system and nasopharynx (7). | Inducing tracheal smooth muscle relaxation in sheep (29) |
| Adiantum capillus-veneris | Maidenhair fern | Parsiavoshan | Pteridaceae | Helping the clearance of airways and improving cough (7). | Reduction of coughs and nocturnal awakenings in the asthmatic children in combination with some other medicinal herbs (30). |
| Cinnamomum verum | Cinnamon | Darchin | Lauraceae | Helping the clearance of airways and is effective on cough (7). | Improving night and morning symptoms, activity tolerance, chest tightness, shortness of breath, the amount of short-acting inhaler bronchodilator consumption and the overall score of the ACQ in combination with some other medicinal herbs (31). |
| Viola odorata | Sweat violet | Banafsheh | Violaceae | Effective on cough and pneumonia and possessing emollient effect on respiratory system (7). | Enhancing the cough suppression in children with intermittent asthma by the adjuvant use of violet syrup with short-acting β-agonist (32) |
| Borago officinalis | Borage | Gavzaban | Boraginaceae | Effective on cough (7). | Reducing cough, dyspnea, wheezing, nocturnal symptoms, airway hyper-responsiveness and flare up of asthma and emergency department visits, and improving ACT scores (33), altering 20–22 carbon PUFA levels, attenuating leukotriene production, and reduction in inflammation in combination with one another herbal oil (34). |
| Linum usitassimum | Flaxseed | Bazr-e-Katan | Lineaceae | Effective on cough with thick and sticky secretions and rhinitis (7). | Reducing the levels of TGF-β, IL-13 in blood and BALF and hydroxyproline content in lung homogenates, attenuating effect on inflammatory cells infiltration, goblet cell hyperplasia and sub-epithelial fibrosis in combination with some other medicinal herbs (35). |
| Vitis vinifera | Grape | Angoor | Vitaceae | Possessing beneficial effects on respiratory system (36) | Inhibiting recruitment of inflammatory cytokines, IgE, nitrites and circulating cells particularly eosinophils in blood/serum and bronchoalveolar fluid, normalizing lung functions and histamine levels (37). Decreasing the level of IgE, cytokines, nitrites and influx of eosinophils and neutrophils in blood and BALF, improving lung functions, suppressing degranulation of mast cells in combination with some other medicinal herbs (38). |
COPD: Chronic Pulmonary Obstructive Disease; CAT: COPD Assessment Test; FEV1: Forced expiratory volume in the first second; FVC: Forced vital capacity; IL: Interleukin; IFN-λ: lambda interferon; ACQ: Asthma Control Questionnaire; PUFA: Poly Unsaturated Fatty Acid; TGF-β: Transforming growth factor beta; BALF: Broncho-alveolar lavage fluid; IgE: Immunoglobulin E.