A review published in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology (2009; 123(2):297–306) examined clinical studies investigating traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) approaches in patients with asthma. The review focused on multi-herb formulations rather than single-agent interventions.
The authors discussed findings related to Radix glycyrrhizae used in combination with other TCM herbs, reporting improvements in asthma-related outcomes in several studies. One formulation highlighted in the review was ASHMI (anti-asthma herbal medicine intervention), a standardized multi-herb preparation. In studies summarized by the authors, ASHMI was associated with improvements in lung function and was reported to perform favorably when compared with prednisone in controlled settings.
The review also described research on extracts of Sophora flavescens, a botanical component of ASHMI. Studies summarized in the review reported improvements in asthma-related measures, with no significant adverse effects observed in the study populations.
The authors emphasized that while these findings were of interest, the studies varied in design and scale, and further large-scale, well-controlled trials would be needed to clarify efficacy, safety, and mechanisms of action.
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