• Journal of Pharmacopuncture
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.112-118
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• 2017

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 ($IFN-{\gamma}$, 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 ($IFN-{\gamma}$, IL-1 and IL-6) levels in rats infected with T. gondii.