Abstract

Infection by HIV and/ or TB is known to cause a persistent chronic inflammation. There are evidences that patients infected with HIV and/ or TB are under chronic oxidative stress with a resultant decrease in endogenous and nutritional antioxidants as well as other micronutrients. Oxidative stress due to over production of free radicals and antioxidant deficiency causes damage to vital biological macromolecules and organs and further contributes to disease complications, progression and morbidity. It has been reported that nutritional (micronutrients and vitamin antioxidants) supplements have been reported to reduce the severity of HIV infection/AIDS, improve immune status of the patients as well as their quality of life. Based on previous animal studies in our laboratory on animal models, in this review, we discuss the possible role of red palm oil in reducing oxidative stress and thus proposed that red palm oil supplementation could sufficiently scavenge free radicals, increase total antioxidant capacity with the potential to reduce disease progression and complications, increase survival and improve the general well being of people living with TB and HIV/AIDS.

Key words: Supplementation, oxidative stress, HIV, AIDS, tuberculosis, red palm oil.