Effects of ginger (Zingiber officinale Roscoe) and garlic (Allium sativum L.) on rats infected with Kleibsiella pneumoniae

Abstract

This study investigates the efficacy of ginger (Zingiber officinale), garlic (Allium sativum) and both plants combined in rats infected with Kleibsiella pneumoniae. The rats were treated with the plant extracts after symptoms of pneumonia infection were noticed in all the groups; the treatment lasted for seven consecutive days. The average weight gains in the post-administration were: in garlic, ginger, mixture (males), mixture (females) and control were 27.0g,-36.2g, 6.0g, 38.8g and 78.8g respectively. There was a significant reduction in packed cell volume (PCV) in all the groups except in females injected with mixture compared with the control. Also, garlic treated rats showed a significant decrease in total white blood cell (WBC) and neutrophils but an increase in lymphocytes as against to what was observed in the other groups.All the rats in ginger group died with symptoms of pneumonia before seven days after the administration while two rats died in males treated with mixture. No death was however recorded in the other groups.