***TASK*** the task is to summarize an input biomedical literature in six sentences 
    ***INPUT*** the input is a biomedical literature 
    ***OUTPUT*** the output is the summary of an input biomedical literature in six sentences 
    ***DOCUMENTATION*** 
    ***EXAMPLES*** 
    Input: Soy sauce ( Shoyu ) is a traditional fermented seasoning of East Asian countries and is available throughout the world . We obtained polysaccharides from raw soy sauce , and showed the anti-allergic activities of these Shoyu polysaccharides ( SPS ) in vitro and in vivo . The present study determined whether oral supplementation of SPS is an effective intervention for patients with seasonal allergic rhinitis . In an 8-week r and omized , double-blind , placebo-controlled parallel group study , patients with mild seasonal allergic rhinitis were treated with 600 mg of SPS ( n=25 ) or placebo ( n=26 ) each day . After 4 weeks of treatment with SPS , symptom scores such as sneezing , nasal stuffiness , and hindrance of daily life were significantly different ( P<0.05 ) from those in placebo-treated groups . The total symptom score , calculated from the sum of individual scores , showed a significant difference ( P<0.05 ) between the 2 groups after 4 - 8 weeks . On nasal examination by the investigator , the color of the inferior turbinate in SPS-treated patients was significantly different ( P<0.05 ) from that in placebo-treated patients between weeks 4 and 8 , and the nasal symptom scores for color of inferior turbinate , watery discharge , and state of sniffles were also significantly different ( P<0.05 ) from those in the placebo-treated group after 8 weeks . In conclusion , SPS of soy sauce improved the quality of life of patients with seasonal allergic rhinitis , and soy sauce would be useful in an anti-allergic therapy utilizing daily foods Abstract Objectives : To compare the efficacy and tolerability of butterbur ( Petasites hybridus ) with cetirizine in patients with seasonal allergic rhinitis ( hay fever ) . Design : R and omised , double blind , parallel group comparison . Setting : Four outpatient general medicine and allergy clinics in Switzerl and and Germany . Participants : 131 patients were screened for seasonal allergic rhinitis and 125 patients were r and omised ( butterbur 61 ;  cetirizine 64 ) . Interventions : Butterbur ( carbon dioxide extract tablets , ZE 339 ) one tablet , four times daily , or cetirizine , one tablet in the evening , both given for two consecutive weeks . Main outcome measures : Scores on SF-36 question naire and clinical global impression scale . Results : Improvement in SF-36 score was similar in the two treatment groups for all items tested hierarchically . Butterbur and cetirizine were also similarly effective with regard to global improvement scores on the clinical global impression scale ( median score 3 in both groups ) . Both treatments were well tolerated . In the cetirizine group , two thirds ( 8/12 ) of reported adverse events were associated with sedative effects ( drowsiness and fatigue ) despite the drug being considered a non-sedating antihistamine . Conclusions : The effects of butterbur are similar to those of cetirizine in patients with seasonal allergic rhinitis when evaluated blindly by patients and doctors . Butterbur should be considered for treating seasonal allergic rhinitis when the sedative effects of antihistamines need to be avoided . What is already known on this topic Seasonal allergic rhinitis ( hay fever ) is common in countries with temperate climates . Most patients have their symptoms treated for short periods , particularly during peaks in atmospheric pollen count What this study adds After two weeks , the effects of butterbur and cetirizine were comparable in patients with hay fever Butterbur produced fewer sedating effects than cetirizine Butterbur should be considered when the sedating effects of antihistamines must be 1 The seed of Butyrospermum parkii yields shea butter which according to local traditional healers relieves inflammation of the nostrils . 2 Since there is as yet no absolutely satisfactory nasal decongestant in clinical use , it was decided to investigate the effects of shea butter in nasal congestion . The substance was prepared in the laboratory . 3 The human subjects used were those suffering from rhinitis with moderate to severe nasal congestion . They were divided into the test group which received shea butter , the control group which was treated with xylometazoline and the ' placebo ' group which received white petroleum jelly B.P. 4 The results showed that nasal congestion was relieved more satisfactorily in the test group than in the other two groups . 5 It is concluded that shea butter may prove more efficacious in nasal congestion than conventional nasal drops The present study was undertaken to determine whether oral supplementation with rosmarinic acid ( RA ) is an effective intervention for patients with SAR . In addition , the anti‐inflammatory mechanism of RA also estimated in the ear edema models . Clinical trial : Patients were treated daily with RA ( 200 mg or 50 mg ) or placebo for 21 days . Patients recorded symptoms daily and profiles of infiltrating cells and concentration of cytokines were measured in nasal lavage fluid . Compared to placebo , supplementation with RA result ed in a significant decrease in responder rates for each symptom . RA also significantly decreased the numbers of neutrophils and eosinophils in nasal lavage fluid . Animal Study : Topical application RA showed anti‐inflammatory activity 5‐hours after 12‐tetradecanoylphorbol 13‐acetate ( TPA ) treatment with marked inhibition of neutrophil infiltration . Up regulation of ICAM‐1 , VCAM‐1 cyclooxygenase‐2 ( COX‐2 ) , KC and MIP‐2 by TPA were markedly reduced by pre‐treatment with extract of perilla ( PE ) or RA . Reactive oxygen radical production detected as thiobarbituric acid reactive substance ( TBARS ) , lipid peroxide ( LPO ) and 8‐hydroxy‐2'deoxyguanosine ( 8OH‐dG ) , by double treatment of TPA was reduced by pretreatment with PE or RA . RA is an effective intervention for SAR that is mediated by inhibition of PMNL infiltration . This effect of RA is due to two independent mechanisms : inhibition of the inflammatory response and scavenging of ROS OBJECTIVES To investigate whether the efficacy and safety of Butterbur extract Ze339 are related to dosage when administered to patients with intermittent allergic rhinitis . DESIGN Prospect i ve , r and omized , double-blind , placebo-controlled , parallel-group comparison . SETTING Multicenter , including 6 outpatient general medicine and allergy clinics . PATIENTS One hundred eighty-six patients were r and omized (  Butterbur Ze339 high dose , 60 ; low dose , 65 ; and placebo , 61 patients ) . Established diagnostic criteria for intermittent allergic rhinitis were confirmed by skin allergy tests in all patients . INTERVENTIONS High-dose group , 1 tablet 3 times daily ; low-dose group , 1 tablet twice daily ; or matching placebo . All groups were treated for 2 consecutive weeks . MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES The main efficacy variable was change in symptoms from baseline to end point during the daytime . The secondary efficacy variables were Clinical Global Impression score , change in symptoms from baseline to treatment day 7 , and responder rates . Statistical analysis was prospect i ve , on an intention-to-treat basis . RESULTS Improvement in the main efficacy variable was significantly superior in the Butterbur Ze339 groups , relative to placebo , and a significant dose relationship was observed between the 2 Butterbur doses . The clinicians ' assessment of efficacy and the overall responder rates were significantly superior for the active groups compared with placebo . The incidence and type of adverse events were indistinguishable across the herbal treatment and placebo groups . CONCLUSIONS Butterbur Ze339 is an effective treatment for intermittent allergic rhinitis symptoms and is well tolerated . The effects of this herbal medicine are clear to patients and physicians in a double-blind evaluation against placebo Background There are presently no placebo‐controlled data regarding the effects of butterbur ( BB ) on subjective and objective outcomes in patients with perennial allergic rhinitis OBJECTIVE To observe the therapeutic effect of Kebimin decoction ( KD ) on allergic rhinitis ( AR ) and its effect on blood levels of nitric oxide ( NO ) and superoxide dismutase ( SOD ) activity . METHODS Eighty-two AR patients were r and omly divided into two groups , the treated group and the control group , 41 in each group . To the treated group , KD was given one dose per day for 10 days as one therapeutic course and 1 - 3 courses were given successively . The control group was treated with Xinfang Rhinitis capsule for 30 days . Blood levels were determined and compared before and after treatment . RESULTS The total effective rate in the treated group was 93 % , which was better than that in the control group ( 51 % ) , the difference was significant ( chi 2 = 17.704 , P < 0.01 ) . Serum level of NO was higher and that of SOD activity was lower in the AR patients than that in healthy persons ( P < 0.01 ) , KD could significantly lower the former and increase the latter ( P < 0.01 ) . CONCLUSION The therapeutic effect of KD in treating AR was significant , its mechanism might be related with the lowering of NO and increasing of SOD activity in serum , as well as the scavenging of oxygen free radical BACKGROUND Butterbur ( Petasites hybridus ) contains the active ingredient petasin , which exhibits antileukotriene and antihistamine activity . Previous studies of intermittent allergic rhinitis ( IAR ) have demonstrated a comparable response to butterbur compared with a histamine H1-receptor antagonist on the 36-Item Short-Form Health Survey quality -of-life score . However , there has been no placebo-controlled study of the effects of butterbur use on objective and subjective outcomes in IAR . OBJECTIVE To evaluate the effects of treatment with butterbur vs placebo on objective and subjective outcomes in IAR . METHODS A double-blind , placebo-controlled , crossover study was carried out during the grass pollen season in Tayside , Scotl and . Thirty-five patients ( 14 men and 21 women ) with IAR received butterbur , 50 mg twice daily , or placebo for 2 weeks . Domiciliary measurements were taken in the morning and evening for peak nasal inspiratory flow ( PNIF ) ( the primary outcome variable ) , nasal and eye symptoms , and rhinoconjunctivitis-specific quality -of-life score . RESULTS Butterbur treatment had no significant effect on PNIF , total nasal symptom score , eye symptom score , or quality of life compared with placebo use . Mean ( SEM ) morning and evening PNIF values were 107 ( 6 ) and 114 ( 6 ) L/min , respectively , for butterbur vs 105 ( 6 ) and 117 ( 6 ) L/min for placebo .  Mean ( SEM ) morning and evening total nasal symptom scores ( maximum total score , 12 ) were 3.4 ( 0.4 ) and 3.5 ( 0.4 ) , respectively , for butterbur vs 3.7 ( 0.3 ) and 3.8 ( 0.4 ) for placebo . CONCLUSIONS There was no significant clinical efficacy of butterbur use vs placebo use on objective and subjective outcomes in IAR . Further studies are now indicated to investigate the use of butterbur in persistent allergic rhinitis BACKGROUND Butterbur or Petasites hybridus is an herbal remedy that exhibits antihistamine and antileukotriene activity and has been shown to attenuate the response to adenosine monophosphate challenge in patients with allergic rhinitis and asthma . However , no data are available regarding its effects on the histamine and allergen cutaneous response . OBJECTIVE To evaluate the effects of butterbur compared with fexofenadine and montelukast on the histamine and allergen wheal and flare cutaneous responses . METHODS Atopic patients were r and omized into a double-blind , double-dummy , crossover study to receive for 1 week butterbur , 50 mg twice daily ( 8 AM and 10 PM ) ; fexofenadine , 180 mg once daily ( 10 PM ) , and placebo once daily ( 8 AM ) ; montelukast , 10 mg once daily ( 10 PM ) , and placebo once daily ( 8 AM ) ; or placebo twice daily ( 8 AM and 10 PM ) . Patients attended the department at 10 AM and had measurements of the cutaneous wheal and flare responses to histamine , allergen , and saline control at 10-minute intervals for 60 minutes . RESULTS Twenty patients completed the study . The mean + /- SE histamine wheal and flare responses , respectively , were significantly attenuated ( P < .05 ) by fexofenadine ( 9.4 + /- 1.8 mm2 and 13.5 + /- 3.2 mm2 ) compared with placebo ( 15.5 + /- 3.3 mm2 and 179.8 + /- 74.3 mm2 ) but not by butterbur ( 16.4 + /- 2.1 mm2 and 297.7 + /- 121.2 mm2 ) or montelukast ( 19 + /- 1.9 mm2 and 240.2 + /- 66.6 mm2 ) . The allergen wheal and flare responses , respectively , were also significantly attenuated ( P < .05 ) by fexofenadine ( 31.1 + /- 6.3 mm2 and 25 
    Output:
    
There is encouraging evidence suggesting that P hybridus may be an effective herbal treatment for seasonal ( intermittent ) AR .
There are also promising results generated for other herbal products , particularly Aller-7 , Tinospora cordifolia , Perilla frutescens , and several Chinese herbal medicines .