Ameliorative effects of Artemisia pallens in a murine model of ovalbumin-induced allergic asthma via modulation of biochemical perturbations

•Airway hyperresponsiveness (AHR) was induced in rats by ovalbumin (OVA).•APME significantly attenuated OVA-induced alteration in lung functions.•APME inhibited serum IgE, TNF-α, IL’s, TGF-β levels and decreased lung fibrosis.•APME significantly inhibited oxido-nitrosative stress and increased lung Nrf2 level.•Artemisia pallens exhibits its anti-asthmatic potential in OVA-induced AHR. Asthma is a chronic, heterogeneous airway disorder characterized by airway inflammatory and remodeling. Artemisia pallens has been reported to possess antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and Anti-allergic potential. To evaluate the anti-asthmatic effects of methanolic extract of Artemisia pallens (APME) against ovalbumin (OVA)-induced airway hyperresponsiveness (AHR) in rats. AHR was induced in male Sprague-Dawley rats (180–200g) by intraperitoneal (i.p.) injection of OVA and boosted with an identical OVA solution (s.c.) on day 7. Rats were either treated orally with vehicle (10mg/kg), montelukast (10mg/kg) or APME (100, 200 and 400mg/kg) for next 28days. At the end treatments, various biochemical, molecular (RT-PCR and ELISA analysis) and histological parameters were evaluated. APME (200 and 400mg/kg) significantly attenuated (p