Formulation and Evaluation of Alugbati-Based Nasal Spray: A Preliminary Study for the Adjunct Management of Allergic Rhinitis

Abstract

Allergic rhinitis is an inflammation in the nasal passages caused by an allergic response to allergens that affects a large portion of the Asian population, particularly in tropical countries like the Philippines. The Philippine Bureau of Plant Industry promotes Basella alba, locally named “Alugbati” which has been reported to have cytotoxic and anti-inflammatory properties, as well as nephroprotective, and wound-healing properties. The purpose of this study is to develop and evaluate the anti-inflammatory effect of B. alba Leaf extract as a nasal spray for allergic rhinitis in Sprague Dawley rats. A total of 27 rats were divided into three equal groups for the treatment distribution: the negative control group, the positive control group, and the treatment group which received the formulated B. alba nasal spray. White blood cells (WBC) were studied to identify the anti-inflammatory effect in each group. Histological examination graded and observed the following: ciliary loss, a decrease of goblet cells, degree of eosinophil infiltration, and vascular congestion. The Formulation group, on average, had no significant difference in all histological scores when compared to the positive control group but showed clinical significance as observed in the samples microscopically, while on observing WBC count there is a significant difference between the Formulation group and the Positive control group which post-hoc analysis revealed that the Formulation group was more effective in normalizing WBC count 24 hours post provocation/administration. An acute inhalation toxicity test also revealed that the extract is classified as “practically non-toxic”. Therefore, the formulated Alugbati nasal spray is a potential alternative and is effective to be used in an animal model of allergic rhinitis. Further tests such as ELISA are recommended to specifically determine the mechanism of action of the formulation.