Manila grass (Zoysia matrella) Zoy m 1 allergen may contribute to allergic sensitization in tropical/subtropical regions due to extensive cross-reactivity with other group-1 grass pollen allergens.

Background: Pollen of grasses in Chloridoideae and Panicoideae subfamilies is a major source of grass group-1 allergens in tropical/subtropical areas. Previously, most studies of subtropical grass pollen allergens have focused on Cynodon dactylon (Bermuda grass-Chloridoideae) and Sorghum halepense (Johnson grass-Panicoideae). However, little information is available about allergenicity of pollen from Zoysia matrella (Manila grass or Zoysia grass-Chloridoideae), which is among the most popular turfgrasses in tropical/subtropical areas.

Group-1 Grass Pollen Allergens with Near-Identical Sequences Identified in Species of Subtropical Grasses Commonly Found in Southeast Asia.

Group-1 grass allergens or beta-expansins (EXPBs) are major allergens from pollen of all grass species. Previous studies showed that they are highly conserved (64-85%) in Pooideae species, which are found mostly in the temperate regions. However, the information about group-1 allergens from common grass species in subtropical areas is still lacking.

Zederone, a sesquiterpene from Curcuma elata Roxb, is hepatotoxic in mice.

The present study aimed to investigate the hepatotoxicity of zederone isolated from Curcuma elata in mice. Adult male mice were intraperitoneally injected with a single dose of zederone (50-300 mg/kg body weight [BW]). Twenty-four hours after the injection, zederone induced liver enlargement with scattered white foci over the organ.