Diosgenin, the major sapogenin contained in the Chinese yam, has recently been shown to promote systemic T helper 1-type immunity in a murine model of airway
hypersensitivity. In this study, we hypothesized that
diosgenin might be effective in modulating
food allergy. BALB/c mice were either left untreated (naïve; NA) or administered daily with vehicle (VH;
olive oil) and/or
diosgenin (100 or 200 mg/kg) by gavage throughout the experiment. Except for the NA group, the mice were sensitized with
ovalbumin (OVA) and repeatedly challenged with intragastric OVA to induce intestinal allergic responses.
Diosgenin demonstrated a suppressive effect on the intestinal
inflammation, including the occurrence of
diarrhea, the infiltration and degranulation of mast cells, and the presence of
mucin-containing goblet cells in the duodenum. A protective effect by
diosgenin on reducing the crypt depth of the intestine was also observed in OVA-sensitized and challenged mice. Furthermore, the serum production of OVA-specific
IgE, and the total
IgE was suppressed. In contrast, OVA-specific
IgG (2a) was enhanced by
diosgenin treatment in OVA-sensitized mice. These results demonstrated the IN VIVO
anti-allergic activity of
diosgenin, which is associated with the suppression of
IgE production and mast cell infiltration and degranulation.