Bamboo salt (BS) is a traditional Korean food, and has been reported to have anti-cancer,
anti-inflammatory, and anti-metastatic effects. However, the anti-atopic dermatitis
(AD) activity of BS has not been described yet. In the present study, we examined
the preventive effect of BS on AD. The effect of oral administration of BS was tested
in a 2, 4-dinitrofluorobenzene (DNFB)-induced AD animal model, by histological analysis,
enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction,
caspase-1 assay, and Western blotting analysis. BS administration reduced the total
clinical severity and scratching frequencies, compared with the AD group. In the serum
of DNFB-induced AD mice, the levels of IgE, histamine, thymic stromal lym-phopoietin
(TSLP), interleukin (IL)-5, and IL-13 were significantly reduced by BS treatment.
BS significantly reduced the protein and mRNA expression of TSLP, IL-6, and tumor
necrosis factor-α in the AD skin lesions. BS markedly reduced the infiltration of
inflammatory cells. Furthermore, the activation of caspase-1 was reduced by BS in
the AD skin lesions. Our results suggested that BS should be considered as a candidate
treatment for allergic inflammatory diseases including AD.