<i>Artemisia judaica</i> extract is effective against <i>Klebsiella pneumoniae</i> -induced pneumonia in male albino rats

<i>Klebsiella pneumoniae</i> frequently causes pneumonia; it is the eighth leading cause of death and one of the most common infectious causes of mortality. <i>Artemisia judaica</i> is well known for its various therapeutic effects. The goal of this study is to evaluate the efficacy of ciprofloxacin and <i>A. judaica</i> in treating pneumonia in <i>K. pneumoniae</i> infected rats. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) demonstrated that ciprofloxacin and <i>A. judaica</i> extract had substantial antibacterial properties against <i>K. pneumoniae</i>. Five groups, each with ten rats, were studied: Group 1 (negative control), Group 2 (infected with 1 × 10⁵ CFU/mL of <i>K. pneumoniae</i> solution), Group 3 (infected and treated with 250 mg/kg of <i>A. judaica</i> extract), Group 4 (infected and treated with 500 mg/kg of <i>A. judaica</i> 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 <i>A. judaica</i> 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 <i>A. judaica</i> has antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antibacterial effects that can help combat pneumonia caused by <i>K. pneumoniae</i> in rats.