Herbal Formula-3 inhibits food allergy in rats by stabilizing mast cells through modulating calcium mobilization

•We for the first time have established Formula-3 as a novel mast cell stabilizer.•Formula-3 has the capacity for preventing pathogenesis of food allergy.•Formula-3 may have the capacity for preventing other mast cell-dependent allergic diseases through stabilizing mast cells.•The underlying mechanism is to inhibit Ca2+ mobilization upon FcεR1 activation.