Effects of Psidium components on cytokine productions in helper T cells and type-I allergy

Psidium genus Myrtaceae (Psidium) is known to be a chinese medicine with an anti-allergy effect. In the present study, to identify active components i n Psidium and investigate mechanisms of its anti-allergy effect, effects of several components isolated from Psidium on cytokine production in helper T cell subtypes, Th1 and Th2 cells, were studied. All components, except me thyl gallate, suppressed cytokine production in both Th1 and Th2 cells. The n, effects of methyl gallate on IgE production in a model mouse with type I allergy were studied. Methyl gallate suppressed IgE production in the mous e. Only methyl gallate selectively suppressed Th2-cytokine production.