Foreign Literature One of the greatly investigated effects of onion is its anti-asthmatic activity.

As written in Ecarma, asthma is a chronic inflammatory disorder of the upper airway affects between 100 and 150 million globally. This was characterized by periodic attacks of wheezing; shortness of breath, chest tightness, and coughing and also known as Bronchial asthma, Exercise induced asthma and Reactive airways disease (RAD).20 Asthma is a disease mediated by reaginic antibodies bound to mast cells. The agents responsible for the early reaction (immediate bronchoconstriction) include histamine, tryptase, and other neutral proteases, leukotrienes C4 & D4 and prostaglandins. Other mediators like cytokines are responsible for the more sustained bronchoconstriction, cellular infiltration of the airway mucosa and mucous

hypersecretion of the late asthmatic reaction that occurs 2 to 8 hours later.21-22 According to Dorsch, other causes or factors that may induce or aggravate asthma are viral respiratory infections, exposure to known allergens (e. g. cockroaches, pollens, molds), exercise, animals with fur or feathers, house-dust mites (in mattresses, pillows, carpets, curtains etc.), smoke (tobacco, wood, agarbattis), changes in weather (exposure to cold air, humidity etc.), foods (especially nuts) and food additives (coloring matters etc.) and drugs (e.g. aspirin, -blockers etc.).23 Dr. Steven Pratt of Super Foods Partners said that onions contain several antiinflammatory compounds that contribute to reducing symptoms that are associated with a host of inflammatory conditions like osteo- and rheumatoid arthritis, the allergic inflammatory response of asthma and the respiratory congestion that is a symptom of the common cold. Onions and their cousin garlic both contain compounds that inhibit

enzymes that generate inflammatory prostaglandins and thromboxanes. Both vitamin C and quercetin contribute to this beneficial effect. They work synergistically to spell relief from inflammation, making both onions and garlic good choices as ingredients in many dishes during cold and flu season.24 According to World Health Organization (WHO), the active antiallergic and antiinflammatory constituents of onion are the flavonoids (quercetin and kaempferol). The flavonoids act as anti-inflammatory agents because they inhibit the action of protein kinase, phospholipase A2, cyclooxygenase, and lipoxygenase, as well as the release of mediators of inflammation (e.g. histamine) from leukocytes.25 According To Block, et.al, flavonoids and organosulfur compounds are the two major classes of secondary metabolites found in onions believed to promote beneficial health effects. Their mode of action and biosynthetic pathways are quite different. The organosulfur compounds are believed to possess anti-inflammatory, anti-allergic, antimicrobial, and anti-thrombotic activity by inhibition of cyclooxygenase and lipoxygenase enzymes.26 According to Friedli, flavonoids are water-soluble polyphenolic molecules containing 15 carbon atoms. The flavonoids consist of 6 major subgroups: chalcone, flavone, flavonol, flavanone, anthocyanins and isoflavonoids.29 As stated by Formica & Regelson, quercetin and kaempferol, the major flavonoids in onions, are found in the flavonol subclass. The degree of hydroxylation distinguishes them from one another. The beneficial health effects associated with these compounds such as reduced risk of coronary heart disease and different types of cancer

are thought to be primarily from anti-oxidative activity including metal ion chelation and inhibition of lipid peroxidation.32 In Millers work, the organosulfur compounds of onions also have been credited with antiasthmatic effects. Thiosulfinates formed from onion tissue degradation (i.e. chopping) have been credited in inhibition of arachidonic acid metabolic pathways and subsequent anti-inflammatory and antiasthmatic effects.33 (taken from Chelation of Toxic Tin(II) by Quercetin: A Spectroscopic Study Gholamreza Dehghan Department of Biology, Faculty of Natural Science, University of Tabriz, Tabriz, Iran. gdehghan@tabrizu.ac.ir

Zahra Khoshkam Department of Biology, Faculty of Natural Science, University of Tabriz, Tabriz, Iran. khoshkamz@yahoo.com) FTIR spectroscopies of the quercetin and its complex were achieved by Bruker spectrophotometer in order to gain more information about the complex structure (Fig.3). Some information can be realized by comparing the absorption data of quercetin with the complex. The presence of peak at 424.81 cm-1 in IR spectrum of the complex (Fig.3b) indicates formation of (OSn) bond through the complex (10) Six Major Subclasses of Flavonoids

C15H12O Chalcone is derived from three acetates and cinnamic acid.

C15H11O Anthocyanidin is an extended conjugation made up of the aglycone of the glycoside anthocyanins. Next to chlorophyll, anthocyanins are the most important group of plant pigments visible to the human eye. C15H10O2 Isoflavonoids have a rather limited taxonomic distribution, mainly within the Leguminosae. The isoflavonoids are all colourless. It has been established that acetate gives rise to ring A and that phenylalamine, cinnamate and cinnamate derivatives are incorporated into ring B and C-2, -3, and -4 of the heterocyclic ring. C15H10O2 Flavones occur generally in herbaceous families, e.g. Labiatae, Umbelliferae, Compositae.

3-hydroxyflavone Flavonols occur generally in woody angiosperms: Quercitol (Ruta graveolens, Fagopyrum esculentum, Sambucus nigra) Kaempferol (Sambucus nigra, Cassia senna, Equisetum arvense, Lamium album, Polygonum bistorta). C15H12O2 Flavanone is a colourless crystalline compound derived from flavones.

Animal evidence indicates that quercetin might have therapeutic potential for allergic airway disease. Several studies conducted in guinea pigs have reported that quercetin, provided orally or administered via inhalation, has anti-asthmatic activity. In murine models of allergic airway inflammation and asthma, quercetin had pronounced

anti-inflammatory effects, reduced eosinophil and neutrophil counts and infiltration in lung tissue, and inhibited asthmatic reactions, as supported by Moon, et.al. 39 As written by Knekt & Jarvinen, one in vitro and one in vivo animal study suggest that quercetin might counter aspects of anaphylactic reactions. Quercetin inhibits anaphylactic contraction of guinea pig ileum smooth muscle in vitro. In Wistar rats experimentally sensitized to have an anaphylactic reaction to peanut, treatment with quercetin (50 mg/kg for four weeks) suppressed immunoglobulin E responses, reduced plasma histamine against peanut proteins, and protected against peanut-induced anaphylactic reactions.40 Human epidemiological research reports an inverse association between intakes of quercetin and asthma incidence. Human intervention studies investigating quercetin for asthma and atopic disease are currently lacking. However, two studies have investigated the effects of an enzymatically-modified isoquercitrin (a quercetin glycoside) on allergic symptoms. Subjects took 100-200 mg of the active treatment or a placebo for eight weeks, starting four weeks prior to the onset of pollen release. In these studies, this specific quercetin glycoside provided a statistically significant relief of ocular symptoms, but no statistically significant relief of nasal symptoms caused by pollen, as documented from Quercetin Monograph.41 Onion extracts are known by WHO for exhibiting relief in the treatment of coughs and colds, asthma and bronchitis. Onions are recognized to decrease bronchial spasms.43 An onion extract was found to decrease allergy-induced bronchial constriction in asthma patients. Onion can improve lung function, especially in asthmatics.