Objective: Asthma is a common chronic disease with a wide global prevalence. In this disease, airway inflammation causes multiple attacks of wheezing. Treatment of asthma with chemical drugs has many complications. Therefore, researchers have recently focused on the use of medicinal plants for the treatment of asthma. So, the present study investigates the therapeutic effects of Asafoetida (Ferula foetida oleo-gum-resin) on asthma.
Materials and Methods: The present study was done in two groups of stable severe asthmatic patients: one group was treated with Asafoetida (n=39, 300 mg capsules daily, oral) and the other with placebo (n=35, 300 mg capsules daily, oral) for one month. Respiratory symptoms, pulmonary function tests (PFT), Asthma control test (ACT) score, total and differential blood cell counts, and blood biochemical factors, were examined before and at the end of the 30-day treatment with asafoetida or placebo consumption.
Results: The results indicated no statistically significant difference in the incidence of complications between the two groups. The mean ACT score in the both treated groups one month after initiation of the treatment was significantly increased compared to baseline (p<0.001 for both cases). The percent change of ACT score was significantly higher in the asafoetida group compared to the placebo group (p<0.05). Treatment with asafoetida also significantly improved wheezing (p<0.001) and decreased forced vital capacity (FVC) (p<0.001). Consumption of asafoetida did not affect serum lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) level or serum leukocyte level.
Conclusion: According to these results, treatment with asafoetida improved respiratory symptoms and ACT score in patients with stable severe asthma. However, further clinical studies are needed to investigate the therapeutic potential of this plant in the treatment of asthma.