Indigenous foods, herbs can serve as antibiotics, says Prof. Adebolu

A professor of Medical Microbiology (Infections and Immunity) at the Federal University of Technology, Akure (FUTA), Tinuola Adebolu has warned that most antibiotics can have undesirable side effects on consumers.

Adebolu said this while delivering the university’s 88th inaugural lecture titled: “Mechanisms of Adaptive Immunity and the Endless Battle against Diarrhoeagenic Bacteria.”

She posited that indigenous foods and herbs, which are readily available, could be used in treating infection. She listed an array of foods like “Ogi” (local pap), cheese whey, honey, garlic and beni seed as having antibacterial, antidiarrhoeatic, immunomodulatory and immunostimulatory effects. She disclosed that they could be exploited in treating individual’s suffering from bacterial diarrhea, especially in rural communities where people might not have quick access to orthodox therapy.

Adebolu, who advocated that indigenous foods and herbs should serve as alternatives, said that raw “Ogi” used in making pap and other components are highly potent in curing diarrhea. This, according to her, might go a long way to reduce the morbidity and mortality that accompany such illnesses, especially in children.

She warned against over-dependence on vaccines produced abroad since there are divergent strains and serotypes of diarrhoeagenic bacterial that are implicated in different regions of the world.