Review Article
Year: 2022 | Month: November | Volume: 12 | Issue: 11 | Pages: 179-183
DOI: https://doi.org/10.52403/ijhsr.20221122
Plant Based Immunomodulators for Managing Stress in Animals- A Review
Preeti Srivastava1, Farah Naz Faridi2, Mudit Sharma3
1Assistant Professor, S.S. Jain Subodh P.G. College, Jaipur
2Independent Researcher
3Director, Mudrakshi Histology Centre, Jaipur
Corresponding Author: Farah Naz Faridi
ABSTRACT
In animals the stress response is useful as a protection mechanism. The cause of stressful conditions in animals can broadly be due to physiological/ pathological conditions, infectious and metabolic diseases, predators, transportation, temperature, diet and chemicals. The oxidative stress is also generated in a number of clinical conditions in animals. The response to these stressors by the animal produces adverse effects on immune system, growth, production and feed conversion efficiency and a pivotal loss to livestock overall. The herbal immunomodulators help the animal to cope better during stress and related disorders by combating or restoring immune functions and play a vital role in animal’s health by up-regulating the immune system. They effectively reduce the incidence and severity of disease episodes in populations of livestock that are immunologically impaired. The study of herbal immunomodulators is an emerging field in veterinary medicine where the herbs can be supplemented along with the therapy in order to minimize the losses due to clinical conditions in livestock and are helpful in preventing the body weight loss and in producing nutritious meat, eggs and milk. Withania somnifera, Ocimum sanctum, Tinospora cordifolia, Asparagus racemosus, Emblica officinalis among many others are known to possess immunomodulatory and anti-stressor properties. It increases physiological endurance and are beneficial particularly in stress-related disorders in animals. Tinospora cordifolia is known to have shown effect on diabetes in rats. Asparagus racemosus has shown antioxidant properties against damage induced by gamma radiation and development of intraperitoneal adhesions and macrophage modulation in animal models. Not only they strengthen the defense mechanisms against free radical damage during stress conditions they also induce immunostimulation. The Ocimum sanctum seed oil has been found to contain significant antioxidant and chemopreventive properties against 20-Methylcholanthrene induced fibrosarcoma in mice. Also, the herbal immunomodulators are found safe in acute and sub-acute toxicity studies. Therefore, the present article details the importance of herbal immunomodulators with their active ingredients and clinical indications in alleviating the stressful condition in animals and their role in better management of diseases in a futuristic approach.
Key words: stress, herbal, immunomodulators, Withania, Ocimum, Emblica, Tinospora