Artemisia judaica extract is effective against Klebsiella pneumoniae-induced pneumonia in male albino rats.

Klebsiella pneumoniae frequently causes pneumonia; it is the eighth leading cause of death and one of the most common infectious causes of mortality. Artemisia judaica is well known for its various therapeutic effects. The goal of this study is to evaluate the efficacy of ciprofloxacin and A. judaica in treating pneumonia in K. pneumoniae infected rats. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) demonstrated that ciprofloxacin and A. judaica extract had substantial antibacterial properties against K. pneumoniae. Five groups, each with ten rats, were studied: Group 1 (negative control), Group 2 (infected with 1 × 10⁵ CFU/mL of K. pneumoniae solution), Group 3 (infected and treated with 250 mg/kg of A. judaica extract), Group 4 (infected and treated with 500 mg/kg of A. judaica extract), and Group 5 (infected and treated with 500 mg/kg of ciprofloxacin). Animals were sacrificed after 24, 48, and 72 hours of treatment. We found that the A. judaica extract or ciprofloxacin treatment improved the rate of survival of infected rats and reduced bacterial spread in the lungs, liver, and spleen. Groups 3, 4, and 5 had substantial histological improvement in lung pathology, with lower TNF-α levels and elevated IL-4, SOD, and CAT levels relative to the positive controls. We conclude that A. judaica has antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antibacterial effects that can help combat pneumonia caused by K. pneumoniae in rats.