Antifungal activity of Punica granatum juice on growth of Candida albicans in diabetic male rats

Document Type : Physiology (Animal)

Authors

1 Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Varamin-Pishva Branch, Islamic Azad University, Varamin, Iran

2 Department of Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Varamin-Pishva Branch, Islamic Azad University, Varamin, Iran

Abstract

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of pomegranate juice (20, 50, 100, 200 ml/kg) and itraconazol (10 mg/kg) on growth of Candida albicans (ATCC 10231) and number of white blood cells, lymphocytes and neutrophils in alloxan-induced diabetic rat. The animal was made diabetic by intraperitoneal (i.p.) injection of alloxan (150 mg/kg). After diabetes induction, they were contaminated by oral administration of Candida albicans juice. Fungus sampling, culturing in medium and colony count were done by swabs from mouths of all animal every day. The period of experiment was 12 days. On the third day of plant treatment, the results showed that treatment of juice at dose of 200 ml/kg decreased colony count of C. albicans in diabetic rats (p<0.001) and growth of C. albicans is suppressed on 6th day. Also, treatment of pomegranate juice increased number of white blood cells and lymphocytes (p<0.001) and decreased number of neutrophils in diabetic rats compared to control normal rats. So, consumption of pomegranate juice improved immune system function and inhibited the growth of Candida albicans in the diabetic rats.

Keywords

Journal of Animal Environment
Volume 9, Issue 2
June 2017
Pages 51-58

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