BACKGROUND:
We previously found that persimmon leaf extract contains antiallergic substances that inhibit histamine release by human basophilic cell line KU812 in response to cross-linkage of FcepsilonRI.

OBJECTIVES:
The purpose of this study was to identify substances in the persimmon leaf extract that are responsible for the effect and to examine their in vivo effects on the allergic mouse model.

Do you have pollen allergies? Do you bruise easily or bleed under the skin (purpura)? Do you have poor immunity to colds and flu? Enjoy refreshing persimmon leaf tea.

I had a nice phone conversation with Penny Frazier, who grows persimmon plants for the tea leaf and fruit. Her company Goods From The Woods is located in Licking, Missouri. She used to have a terrible pollen allergy that prevented her from going out in the fields for harvest. Drinking persimmon leaf tea cured her allergies. Other customers of hers have reported improvement of digestive complaints. The tea is slightly bitter and can be laxative in large doses. Penny has a blog at her website www.wildcrops.com that features news about piñon pine nuts, a fine source of protein and a tasty treat. Her company grows wild plants, specialty teas, fruits, mushrooms, and piñon nuts in season.

Retinal ganglion cell (RGC) death is part of many retinal diseases. Here, we report that the ethanol extract of Diospyros kaki (EEDK) exhibits protective properties against retinal degeneration, both in vitro and in vivo. Upon exposure to cytotoxic compounds, RGC-5 cells showed approximately 40% cell viability versus the control, while pre-treatment with EEDK markedly increased cell viability in a concentration-dependent manner.