preventive effects of hydroalcoholic extract of saffron on hematological parameters of experimental asthmatic rats

objective: asthma is a chronic inflammatory disease of the respiratory airways distinguished by edema and infiltration of inflammatory immune cells. to test our hypothesis about the anti-inflammatory effect of saffron, we examined effects of crocus sativus (c. sativus) extract as a prophylactic anti-inflammatory agent in sensitized rats. materials and methods: to induce experimental asthma, rats were sensitized with injection and inhalation of ovalbumin (oa). forty male wistar rats were divided into 5 groups (n=8 for each): control, sensitized (asthma), and sensitized and pretreated with three different concentrations of extract, 50, 100, and 200 mg/kg, 2 times a week (group asthma+50ex, group asthma+100ex, and group asthma+200ex). after 32 days, total white blood cells (wbc) counts, red blood cells (rbc), and platelet counts in blood were examined. results: total wbc number and eosinophil and neutrophil percentage in blood were increased, but lymphocyte decreased in sensitized animals compared with those of control group (pconclusion: our findings indicated that the extract of c. sativus could be useful to prevent asthma as an anti-inflammatory treatment.