A Phytotherapic Formulation for Allergic Rhinitis in Autistic Children

Aim: In this study, the efficacy of a nasal spray based on lemon pulp extract for the treatment of allergic rhinitis in autistic subjects was evaluated by nasal cytology. The lemon pulp extract was obtained using an innovative solid-liquid extraction technology using a Naviglio Extractor or a Rapid Solid-Liquid Dynamic Extractor (RSLDE) that extracts vegetable matrices from different species by using different types of solvents. Due to the pressurising and depressurising of this technique and using water as a solvent, it is possible to extract both the hydrophilic and lipophilic substances contained in vegetables in a heterogeneous solution.

Objectives: We used a nasal spray based on a lemon pulp extract for the treatment of allergic rhinitis in autistic subjects, for whom there are legal limitations regarding the possible harmful side effects associated with the long-term use of traditional treatments, such as the use of cortisone, antihistamines, and leukotriene modifiers. Moreover, this nasal spray can be administered to very young children because it contains no alcohol.

Methodology: In this placebo-controlled study, the efficacy of the product was tested on 20 patients aged between three and eight years old (10 males and 10 females, mean age 5.5 years). Nasal cytology was performed using an exfoliative technique with a sterile swab soaked in sterile saline solution and then rubbed on the middle part of the inferior turbinate. The collected sample was May-Giemsa Grumwald stained to highlight the morphological changes in the nasal epithelium before and after the nasal spray therapy.

Results: The experimental data demonstrated that the lemon-based nasal spray has anti-inflammatory effects and is therapeutically safe as an aid in reducing the inflammatory cells observed in the nasal cytology.

Conclusion: The lemon pulp extract can be used as a nasal spray for allergic rhinitis in all autistic patients, even in children, because it contains no alcohol.