Beneficial Effects of
Capparis Spinosa Honey on the Immune Response of Rats Infected with
Toxoplasma Gundii.
J Pharmacopuncture 2017;
20:112-118. [PMID:
30087788 PMCID:
PMC5532470 DOI:
10.3831/kpi.2017.20.015]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2017] [Revised: 05/30/2017] [Accepted: 06/13/2017] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Objectives
The Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii) is an intracellular opportunistic protozoan parasite that infects approximately one-third of the human population worldwide. Honey has long been used for treatment of many diseases in folk medicine. Honey has exhibited significant anthelmintic, nematicidal and anti-protozoal activities.This study was conducted to investigate the immunological patterns in rats infected with T. gondii who were treated orally with supplemented 15% Capparis spinosa honey (Saudi Arabia) for a period of 28 days.
Methods
Immunoglobulin M, immunoglobulin G, and cytokines were detected by using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs). In addition, the mortality and the morbidity rates were assessed.
Results
Oral administration of Capparis spinosa honey as a natural food additive was experimentally shown to increase the antibody titer; furthermore, compared with the rats in the control group, the levels of the sera cytokines (IFN-γ, IL-1 and IL-6) were consistently higher at day 7 post-infection in the infected rats treated with oral supplements of Capparis spinosa honey.
Conclusion
Orally administered supplements of Capparis spinosa honey increased both the antibody titer and the cytokines (IFN-γ, IL-1 and IL-6) levels in rats infected with T. gondii.
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