Products of certain plants given to mothers after child birth or to invalids were studied for immunostimulant activity using the macrophage migration index (MMI) as a parameter of macrophage activation and cell-mediated immunity and haemagglutinating antibody (HA) titres and plaque-forming cell (PFC) counts as parameters of humoral immunity. Feeding of Prunus amygdalus (Almond(1)) and Buchanania lanzan (Chirronji(1)) significantly stimulated both CMI and humoral immunity in BALB/c mice as evidenced by the enhancement of MMI, HA titres, and PFC counts. Euryale ferox (Tel makhana(1)), Phoenix dactylifera (Chhohara(1)) and Zingiber officinale (Sonth(1)), however, stimulated humoral immunity to a greater extent than CMI. The observation provides scientific basis for feeding the products of above plants to mothers after child birth and to invalids with a relatively poor immune status.

Download full-text PDF

Source
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/s0378-8741(99)00181-6DOI Listing

Publication Analysis

Top Keywords

mothers child
12
child birth
12
birth invalids
12
humoral immunity
12
immunostimulant activity
8
products plants
8
plants mothers
8
pfc counts
8
activity dry
4
dry fruits
4

Similar Publications

Objective: Development of postpartum depressive symptoms (PDS) is influenced by many social determinants of health, including income, discrimination, and other stressful life experiences. Early recognition of PDS is essential to reduce its long-term impact on mothers and their children, but postpartum checkups are highly underutilized. This study examined how stressful life experiences and race-based discrimination influence PDS development and whether or not a women has a postpartum checkup.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Assessment of Quality of Life in Mothers of Visually Impaired Children.

J Coll Physicians Surg Pak

January 2025

Al-Shifa School of Public Health, Al-Shifa Trust Eye Hospital, Rawalpindi, Pakistan.

Objective: To assess the factors that affect mothers' quality of life (QOL) and the association of various demographic variables with QOL of the respondents.

Study Design: A cross-sectional survey. Place and Duration of the Study: Al-Shifa Trust Eye Hospital, Rawalpindi, Pakistan, from April to September 2023.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Childhood cancer and parental mental health: role of disease severity, socioeconomic status, and social dynamics.

BMC Psychiatry

January 2025

Department of Psychology, Division of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Bielefeld University, P.O. Box 100131, Universitätsstraße 25, Bielefeld, 33501, Germany.

Background: The impact of childhood cancer extends beyond the affected child, significantly influencing the mental health of their families. Since research in psycho-oncology has been carried out almost exclusively in high-income countries, little is known about the impact of childhood cancer on the family level in low- and middle income countries (LMICs). This is a notable gap in the evidence-base, as many LMICs are collectivist cultures, where social and family networks are crucial elements of health care.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Postpartum depression (PPD) is a significant public health concern; however, its association with congenital anomalies (CAs) remains understudied. This study investigated the relationship between CAs and PPD risk and identified persistent patterns of PPD among mothers of infants with and without CAs.

Methods: We analysed data from 86,464 mother-child pairs in the Japan Environment and Children's Study.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Despite the significant public health burden of maternal mental health disorders in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), limited data are available on their effects on early childhood development (ECD), nutritional status, and child health in the region.

Aims: This study investigated the association between maternal mental health and ECD, nutritional status, and common childhood illnesses, while controlling for biological, social, financial, and health-related factors and/or confounders.

Method: As part of the Innovative Partnership for Universal and Sustainable Healthcare (i-PUSH) program evaluation study, initiated in November 2019, a cohort of low-income rural families, including pregnant women or women of childbearing age with children under five, was recruited for this study.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Want AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?

Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!