anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidative effects of myrtenol in the rats with allergic asthma

Aims: to investigate the effect of myrtenol, the active ingredient of myrtle, on the oxidant and antioxidant indices and cytokines in the allergic asthma.methods: allergic asthma was induced by ovalbumin (ova) sensitization and inhalation in four groups of rats; control, asthma, asthma+dexamethasone and asthma+myrtenol. myrtenol (50mg/kg) or dexamethasone (2.5mg/kg) was administered intraperitoneally for 7 consecutive days after ova inhalation. at the end, histopathological parameters and interleukins (interleukin10 (il10), interferon gamma (ifnγ) , interleukin1β (il1β), tumor necrosis factor α (tnfα)) and oxidative stress biomarkers, malondialdehyde (mda), superoxide dismutase (sod) and glutathione peroxidase (gpx) in the lung and serum were measured by hematoxylin eosin staining and elisa method respectively.results: myrtenol reduced the pathological changes in the lungs and airway endothelium (p<0.01), (p<0.5). the level of il1β (p < 0.05) and mda in the serum and lung tissue (p < 0.01), (p < 0.05), and also the level of tnfα (p < 0.05) in the lung tissue decreased in the myrtenol group compared to the asthma group. myrtenol increased the level of il10 ( p < 0.05) and the activity of gpx in the lung tissue and serum (p < 0.001).conclusion: myrtenol may improve asthma by increasing the ratio of antioxidants to oxidants and reducing the ratio of proinflammatory to anti-inflammatory interleukins in the lung. myrtenol is presented as a potent herbal medicine ingredient for the treatment of asthma.