Grifola gargal, a medicinal mushroom, found to reduce bronchial asthma symptoms

A medicinal mushroom called Grifola gargal, commonly known as gargal or galgal, has been found to be an effective remedy for allergic diseases, such as allergic bronchial asthma. The study, which was published in the Journal of Medicinal Food, examined the effect of G. gargal extract on allergic diseases, particularly allergic bronchial asthma by using laboratory testing and clinical studies.

• G. gargal has been reported to be effective for preventing and treating various chronic inflammatory diseases. However, its effect on allergic disease has not yet been studied.
• For the study, a team of researchers from Mie University, Shizuoka University, and Iwade Research Institute of Mycology in Japan induced asthma in mice by ovalbumin sensitization and inhalation.
• The research team divided the mice into two groups: mice fed with a diet containing G. gargal extract and mice fed with a standard diet.
• For the in vitro studies, they used human mast cell and eosinophilic cell lines.
• The researchers discovered that G. gargal extract significantly reduced airway hyperresponsiveness, lung eosinophilic infiltration, lung interleukin (IL)-13 expression, and plasma IgE level, while greatly increasing IL-10 plasma levels and spleen regulatory T cells.
• The treatment also significantly suppressed the expression of cytokines in mast cells and eosinophils compared with control cells.
• These results suggest that G. gargal extract increases the lung population of regulatory T cells and reduces allergic inflammation and airway hyperresponsiveness in mice with allergic bronchial asthma.

In conclusion, the findings of the study indicated that G. gargal extract can be an effective natural remedy for allergic bronchial asthma.

To read more studies on medicinal mushrooms, visit AlternativeMedicine.news today.

Journal Reference:

Harada E, D’Alessandro-Gabazza CN, Toda M, Morizono T, Totoki T, Yasuma T, Nishihama K, Kobayashi T, Sumiya T, Kawagishi H, Gabazza EC. THE MEDICINAL MUSHROOM, GRIFOLA GARGAL, AMELIORATES ALLERGIC BRONCHIAL ASTHMA. Journal of Medicinal Food. 1 Feb 2018; 21(2). DOI: 10.1089/jmf.2017.4016