Booth Id:
BMED084
Category:
Biomedical and Health Sciences
Year:
2024
Finalist Names:
Ford, Sophia (School: Cor Jesu Academy)
Abstract:
This research study was performed to determine whether Ashwagandha can be used as an effective treatment for Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) in Zebrafish embryo models. IBD is a chronic gastrointestinal disorder that currently affects around 3 million people in the United States and has no known cure. Many pharmaceutical and herbal treatments have been found that can help lessen the severity and symptoms of the disease, but the search for a completely effective drug is an ongoing study. Ashwagandha, an Ancient Ayurvedic herb known for its extensive beneficial health benefits, has anti-inflammatory properties that have the potential to be used as a successful IBD treatment. The use of Zebrafish embryos 0-7 days post fertilization as a chemically induced IBD model is a commonly practiced method for testing IBD. At the highest treatment levels, embryonic models exhibited significantly reduced inflammation and a lack of commonly observed IBD characteristics.