Content area
Full Text
Background & objectives: Emblica officinalis (amla), which is a good source of vitamin C, has been shown to be beneficial due to its immune system enhancing property coupled with its tonifying and antiageing effect. The present study was conducted to evaluate the effect of E. officinalis feeding on the susceptibility of experimental mice to respiratory tract infection induced by Klebsiella pneumoniae.
Methods: The effect of short - (15 days) and long (30 days) - term feeding of amia in mice on the course of K. pneumoniae ATCC43816 infection in lungs was studied, in terms of bacterial colonization, macrophage activity, malondialdehyde (MDA) and nitrite production in broncheoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF). Tumour necrosis factor (TNF) -a level in serum was also assessed.
Results: Though there was a decrease in bacterial colonization after short-term feeding, it was not significant. On the contrary, the decrease in bacterial load was significant (P<0.05) on long-term feeding. The operative mechanisms in terms of lipid peroxidation, phagocytosis and nitrite production were studied by estimating their levels in broncheoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF). Maximum decrease in malondialdehyde (MDA) levels and increase in phagocytic activity and nitrite levels on long-term feeding was seen.
Interpretation & conclusion : These results suggest that dietary supplementation with amia protects against bacterial colonization of lungs on long-term feeding in experimental model. Further studies need to be conducted to understand the actual mechanism.
Key words Amla (Emblica officinalis) - herbal feeding - Klebsiella pneumoniae - pneumonia
Herbs from around the world have been traditionally used for centuries to strengthen the immune system as well as to cure various ailments. Renewed scientific interest in herbs and herbal products for health care has started during the last two decades. This shift from synthetic chemical agents to plant based products is primarily due to more frequent untoward effects seen with the former. Emblica officinalis (amla) has been known in Ayurvedic medicine for its tonifying, antiageing1 and immune enhancing properties2 as it provides a superior source of vitamin C. Each amia fruit contains up to 700 mg of vitamin C. Researchers have shown that 8.7 mg of natural vitamin C complex from amia is equivalent to 100 mg of the most commonly used synthetic version of it. Amia has been particularly indicated for...