The team is looking to recruit volunteers for the trial, which hopes to confirm the benefits of AKL1, a standardised formulation of ginkgo biloba, picrorhiza kurroa and zingiber officinale.

There is evidence that shows the treatment, taken in capsules, has positive effects in patients diagnosed with asthma. It also suggests that gingko biloba has an anti-inflammatory effect and that this new combination of botanical nutrients may also help patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), the term used for a collection of lung diseases such as chronic bronchitis and emphysema. In particular, patients have reported reduced symptoms of coughing and breathlessness, as well as fewer attacks.

Study leader Dr Andrew Wilson, of the School of Medicine at the University of East Anglia, said: “We want to investigate the effects of AKL1 further and hope that this novel treatment may have huge benefits to patients with asthma or COPD. It is using a new combination of herbal products which individually have been used for many years.

“We know that many people use herbal treatments for a number of conditions, including asthma, but we don’t yet have conclusive evidence of their clinical effectiveness. If the benefits of AKL1 were confirmed, it could provide a new treatment option for both asthma and COPD.”

One in five households in the UK includes a person with asthma and there are currently 5.4m people receiving treatment for the condition. COPD is one of the most common respiratory diseases in the UK and a major healthcare problem - it affects three million people, results in 1.4 million medical consultations, causes 30,000 deaths, and costs the NHS £800m a year.

Most of the medications prescribed to relieve symptoms of asthma or COPD are given by inhaler and there are very few tablets. Each component of AKL1 has previously been marketed as a health food supplement.

The year-long clinical study is being funded by the International Primary Care Respiratory Group. The research team is looking for 164 volunteers, aged 18 to 80, who have asthma or COPD, and experience coughing or breathlessness. Participants will attend the Clinical Research and Trials Unit at UEA four times over a period of 10 weeks. They will receive either the AKL1 or a control treatment, which they will be asked to take twice a day. At each visit, patients will have a series of breathing, walking and blood tests. They will also be asked to fill in a series of questionnaires to assess any change in their symptoms or general health.

For more information or to volunteer call 01603 289876, email a.m.wilson@uea.ac.uk or sundari.ampi@nnuh.nhs.uk