Water soluble fraction of Tinospora cordifolia leaves enhanced the non-specific immune mechanisms and disease resistance in Oreochromis mossambicus.

The present paper describes the effect of water-soluble fraction of the leaves of the Indian medicinal plant, Tinospora cordifolia (Miers) on the non-specific immunity and disease resistance in Oreochromis mossambicus (Peters). Fish were intraperitoneally injected with 0, 6, 60 or 600 mg kg(-1) body weight, of the water soluble fraction. The non-specific humoral (lysozyme, antiprotease and complement) and cellular (production of reactive oxygen and nitrogen species and myeloperoxidase) responses and disease resistance against Aeromonas hydrophila were tested. All the doses of water-soluble fraction tested, significantly enhanced the serum lysozyme, antiprotease and natural haemolytic complement activities on most of the days tested. Similarly, all the doses of water-soluble fraction used, enhanced the cellular myeloperoxidase activity on all the days tested. The enhancement in the ROS and RNI production by peripheral blood leucocytes was observed on almost all the days tested, in most of the treated groups. All the doses of water-soluble fraction when administered as a single or double dose gave protection in terms of reduced percent mortality which is reflected in the increased Relative Percent Survival (RPS) values. The results clearly indicate the immunostimulatory and disease resistance properties of T. cordifolia leaf fraction and so its potential to be used as an immunoprophylactic in finfish aquaculture.