MANAGEMENT OF GIARDIASIS BY AN IMMUNO-MODULATORY HERBAL DRUG PIPPALI-RASAYANA

Pippali rasayana (PR), an Ayurvedic herbal medicine, prepared from Pip er longum (Pippali) and Butea monosperma (Palash), and prescribed for the treatment of chronic dysentery and worm infestations was tested fo r anti-giardial and immune-stimulatory activity in mice, infected with Giardia lamblia trophozoites. It produced up to 98% recovery from the infection. The rasayana had no killing effect on the parasite in vitr o. It induced significant activation of macrophages as evidenced by in creased macrophage migration index (MMI) and phagocytic activity. Enha ncement of host resistance could be one of the possible mechanisms con tributing towards the recovery of animals from the giardial infection.