Abstract

MORRIS QUEVEDO, Humberto Joaquín; BORGES QUINTANA, Leonardo; MARTINEZ MANRIQUE, Clara Esther  and  CARRILLO FARNES, Olimpia. Restauración de la inmunocompetencia en ratones malnutridos con la administración de un hidrolizado de microalgas. Rev Cubana Farm [online]. 2003, vol.37, n.3, pp. 1-1. ISSN 1561-2988.

The effect of the intraperitoneal administration of a protein hydrolysate of Chlorella vulgaris microalga at a dose of 500 mg/kg of weight during 6 days, as a supplement of the conventional diet in the recovery of the immunocompetence of Balb/c mice with protein-energy malnutrition experimentally induced by diet restriction, was evaluated. The intervention with the hydrolysate led to the restoration of the count of total leukocytes at values similar to those of the control group and to an increase in the levels of lymphocytes in peripheral blood. It also stimulated the proliferation of the cells from the mononuclear phagocytic system and the metabolism of the macrophages, expressed by a higher activity of the lysosomal acid phsosphatase and the rise of the relative weight and the hematopoietic activity of the spleen. These modullating actions allow to consider the product as an immunological active compound capable of inducing an increased state of nonspecific resistance in the organism.

Keywords : PROTEIN-ENERGY MALNUTRTION; INMUNOCOMPETENCES; ALGAE; CHLORELLA; ANIMALS, LABORATORY; MICE; INBRED BALB C.