Infected Untreated Control Research Articles

Vaccine-linked chemotherapy with a low dose of benznidazole plus a bivalent recombinant protein vaccine prevents the development of cardiac fibrosis caused by Trypanosoma cruzi in chronically-infected BALB/c mice.

BackgroundChagas disease (CD) is caused by Trypanosoma cruzi and affects 6–7 million people worldwide. Approximately 30% of chronic patients develop chronic chagasic cardiomyopathy (CCC) after decades. Benznidazole (BNZ), one of the first-line chemotherapy used for CD, induces toxicity and fails to halt the progression of CCC in chronic patients. The recombinant parasite-derived antigens, including Tc24, Tc24-C4, TSA-1, and TSA-1-C4 with Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR-4) agonist-adjuvants reduce cardiac parasite burdens, heart inflammation, and fibrosis, leading us to envision their use as immunotherapy together with BNZ. Given genetic immunization (DNA vaccines) encoding Tc24 and TSA-1 induce protective immunity in mice and dogs, we propose that immunization with the corresponding recombinant proteins offers an alternative and feasible strategy to develop these antigens as a bivalent human vaccine. We hypothesized that a low dose of BNZ in combination with a therapeutic vaccine (TSA-1-C4 and Tc24-C4 antigens formulated with a synthetic TLR-4 agonist-adjuvant, E6020-SE) given during early chronic infection, could prevent cardiac disease progression and provide antigen-specific T cell immunity.Methodology/ Principal findingsWe evaluated the therapeutic vaccine candidate plus BNZ (25 mg/kg/day/7 days) given on days 72 and 79 post-infection (p.i) (early chronic phase). Fibrosis, inflammation, and parasite burden were quantified in heart tissue at day 200 p.i. (late chronic phase). Further, spleen cells were collected to evaluate antigen-specific CD4+ and CD8+ T cell immune response, using flow cytometry. We found that vaccine-linked BNZ treated mice had lower cardiac fibrosis compared to the infected untreated control group. Moreover, cells from mice that received the immunotherapy had higher stimulation index of antigen-specific CD8+Perforin+ T cells as well as antigen-specific central memory T cells compared to the infected untreated control.ConclusionsOur results suggest that the bivalent immunotherapy together with BNZ treatment given during early chronic infection protects BALB/c mice against cardiac fibrosis progression and activates a strong CD8+ T cell response by in vitro restimulation, evidencing the induction of a long-lasting T. cruzi-immunity.

Evaluation of Anticoccidial Activity of Citrus aurantium L. Ethanolic Leaf Extract against Experimental Eimeria tenella Infection in Broiler Chickens (Gallus gallus domesticus)

BackgroundCoccidiosis is a debilitating poultry disease that costs the world more than £10.4 billion annually. Citrus aurantium L, also known as bitter orange, belongs to the family Rutaceae, it's been used in traditional Chinese medicine to treat nausea, constipation, cancer, cardiovascular effect, and as antioxidant. Anticoccidial activity of the ethanolic leaf extract of Citrus aurantium L. against experimental Eimeria tenella infection was studied in broiler chickens. MethodologyC. aurantium leaves were collected, authenticated, pulverized and extracted using ethanol. Thirty-six broiler chicks were obtained and thirty chickens were experimentally infected with 20,000 sporulated Eimeria tenella oocysts and assigned randomly into six groups of six chickens each. Group A was uninfected and untreated (negative control), group B served as infected-untreated control, group C were infected and treated with a standard drug; amprolium 1g/L of drinking water (positive control), groups D, E, and F were infected and treated with ethanolic leaf extract of C. aurantium at 125, 250 and 500 mg/kg orally, respectively, for seven consecutive days. Weight gain was calculated and the oocysts per gram of faeces were counted using the McMaster counting apparatus. Blood samples from each experimental group were collected on days 7 and 14 post-infection for haematological examination. ResultsResults revealed that treatment with ethanolic leaf extract of C. aurantium dose-dependently decreased the E. tenella oocysts shedding, increase body weight, improved caecal lesion and significantly (p < 0.05) increased the PCV, TRBC and Hb concentration with significantly decreased (p < 0.05) TWBC of the infected chickens. ConclusionC. aurantium provided beneficial effects against E. tenella-induced coccidiosis in broiler chickens. The plant should be further validated to investigate the essential compounds responsible for the anticoccidial effect.

Pathological and immunological evaluation of different regimens of praziquantel treatment in a mouse model of Schistosoma mansoni infection.

One of the considerable challenges of schistosomiasis chemotherapy is the inefficacy of praziquantel (PZQ) at the initial phase of the infection. Immature schistosomes are not susceptible to PZQ at the curative dose. Here, we investigated the efficacy of different PZQ regimens administered during the initial stage of Schistosoma mansoni infection in mice. Two months-old mice were individually infected with 80 S. mansoni cercariae and divided into one infected-untreated control group (IC) and four PZQ-treated groups: PZQ at 100 mg/kg/day for five consecutive days (group PZQ1), PZQ at 100 mg/kg/day for 28 days (group PZQ2), PZQ at 18 mg/kg/day for 28 days (group PZQ3) and a single dose of PZQ at 500 mg/kg (group PZQ4). The treatment started on day one post-infection (p.i), and each group of mice was divided into two subgroups euthanized on day 36 or 56 p.i, respectively. We determined the mortality rate, the parasitological burden, the hepatic and intestinal granulomas, the serum levels of Th-1, Th-2, and Th-17 cytokines, and gene expression. The treatment led to a significant (p < 0.001) reduction of worm burden and egg counts in the intestine and liver in groups PZQ2 and PZQ3. On 56th day p.i, there was a significant reduction (p < 0.001) of the number and volume of the hepatic granulomas in groups PZQ2 and PZQ3 compared to group PZQ1 or PZQ4. Moreover, in group PZQ3, the serum levels of IFN-γ, TNF-α, IL-13, and IL-17 and their liver mRNA expressions were significantly reduced while IL-10 and TGF-β gene expression significantly increased. The highest mortality rate (81.25%) was recorded in group PZQ2. This study revealed that the administration of PZQ at 18 mg/kg/day for 28 consecutive days was the optimal effective posology for treating S. mansoni infection at the initial stage in a murine model.

Gongronema latifolium Benth. leaves (Uteze) ameliorate malaria infection in Plasmodium berghei-infected mice

Herbs are vital sources of bioactive compounds. This study evaluates the antimalarial, antioxidant, phytochemical and nutritional properties of Gongronema latifolium Benth. (Uteze) leaves. Pulverized dry leaves sample were macerated in hexane, methanol, ethanol and distilled water to obtain their respective extracts. The antimalarial efficacy of these extracts was assessed in male Swiss albino mice infected intraperitoneally with chloroquine-sensitive Plasmodium berghei NK65, using the chemo-suppressive, prophylactic and mean survival time (MST) assays. Phytochemical and proximate analyses were assessed by standard protocols. The antioxidant capacity of the extracts was analyzed using DPPH radical scavenging and ferrous ion chelating assays. From the results, the plant had significant (p &lt; 0.05) antimalarial activity compared to the infected untreated control. The chemo- suppressive activity of the extracts declined accordingly; ethanol (46.34%) &gt; methanol (43.16%) &gt; aqueous (32.24%), while their prophylactic activity declined in the order of aqueous (40.25%) &gt; ethanol (38.99%) &gt; methanol (26.94%). Only MST in the four-day chemo-suppressive assay was significant (p &lt; 0.05) compared to the infected untreated control. Tannins, alkaloids, flavonoids, saponins, phenolics, cardiac glycosides and proanthocyanidins were detected in reasonable quantities in the plant. The plant also had antioxidant activity as the aqueous extract (IC50 48.50 ± 0.42) scavenged DPPH radicals better, while methanol extract (IC50 21.15 ± 0.33) chelated ferrous ion radicals more compared to other extracts. Meanwhile, the percentage nutritional composition of the plant was moisture (6.23 ± 0.01), total ash (2.22 ± 0.02), crude fat (16.32 ± 0.04), crude fibre (1.04 ± 0.01), crude protein (9.33 ± 0.58) and nitrogen free extract (64.85 ± 0.63). In conclusion, the antimalarial activity of Gongronema latifolium Benth. (Uteze) leaves could be due to its rich phytochemical and nutritional properties.

Assessment ofthe efficacy of thymol against Toxocara vitulorum in experimentally infected rats.

The effect of thymol and ivermectin on the development and embryonation of Toxocara vitulorum (T. vitulorum) eggs, as well as their migration in albino rats was investigated both in vitro and in vivo. A total of forty male albino rats were divided into four groups for an in vivo experiment. The first group was uninfected; the second group was infected but left untreated; the third group was infected and received thymol at a dose of 40mg/kg; and the fourth group was infected and received ivermectin (0.2mg/kg). In vitro, thymol inhibited the development of Toxocara larvae within the eggs. However, ivermectin, produced inconsistent results. The in vivo results indicated that the recovery rates of Toxocara larvae from the liver and lungs on day 7 post-infection were significantly lower in the thymol or ivermectin-treated groups than in the infected untreated control. Albumin levels were significantly increased in the thymol-treated group as compared to thepositive control and ivermectin groups.Nitric oxide, IL-4, and IFN- levels in the serum of the thymol or ivermectin-treated groups were significantly lower than that of thepositive control group. Histopathological examination demonstrated that thymol and ivermectin were effective in reducing larval load, reducing the number and size of granulomas in the absence of larvae, and improving tissuearchitecture. The current study concluded that thymol possessed anti-Toxocara activity in a rat model. Additionally, thymol possessed ovicidal properties and may be used as a disinfectant.

Antiviral activity of Epimedium koreanum Nakai water extract against influenza viruses

Epimedium koreanum Nakai (EKN) is a popular plant in Korean and Chinese medicine for treating a variety of ailments. The aqueous extract of EKN has a significant inhibitory impact on influenza A virus (IAV) infection by directly blocking viral attachment and having a virucidal effect, according to this study. Using fluorescent microscopy and fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS) with a green fluorescent protein (GFP)-tagged Influenza A/PR/8/34 virus, we examined the effect of EKN on viral infection. By viral infection, EKN strongly suppresses GFP expression, and at a dosage of 100 µg/mL, EKN decreased GFP expression by up to 90% of the untreated infected control. Immunofluorescence and Western blot analyses against influenza viral proteins revealed that EKN decreased influenza viral protein expression in a dose-dependent manner. EKN inhibited the H1N1 influenza virus's hemagglutinin (HA) and neuraminidase (NA), preventing viral attachment to cells. Furthermore, EKN had a virucidal impact and inhibited the cytopathic effects of H1N1, H3N2 and influenza B virus infection. Finally, our findings show that EKN has the potential to be developed as a natural viral inhibitor against influenza virus infection.

Bactericidal activity of some plant essential oils against Ralstonia solanacearum infection

Potato plants and their tubers in Egypt are affected by one of the most renowned soil-borne pathogen, Ralstonia solanacearum, that caused brown rot in potato tubers and wilt in plants. There is no efficient therapeutic bactericide so; control of bacterial wilt is very rough.The study investigated three different concentrations of seven essential plant oils under in vitro and in vivo conditions as a result of their effects on Ralstonia solanacearum growth and their possibility use as potato seed pieces dressing for controlling bacterial wilt disease incidence. In vitro, anise oil at the three tested different concentrations (0.04, 0.07, and 0.14% vol/vol) was the most effective one inhibiting the growth of T4 and W9 isolates of Ralstonia solanacearum then pursued by thyme, lemongrass, and clove oils. On the other hand, rocket oil at the tested concentration was the least effective one followed by fennel oil. However, wheat germ oil was not completely effective. In vivo, experiment revealed that anise oil at the three concentrations significantly reduced disease incidence and severity in sponta and hermes potato cultivars and their effect was associated with increase of peroxidase, polyphenoloxidase, phenols and the foliar fresh weight of treated plants as well as the weight of tubers/plant followed by thyme and lemongrass oils compared to the infected untreated control.Morphological differences in bacterial cell structure have been observed using a transmission electron microscope (TEM). Anise oil at higher concentration caused of cell wall rupture and degraded cellular components.

THERAPEUTIC EFFICACY OF CURCUMA AND POMELO LOADED CHITOSAN NANOPARTICLES IN INTESTINAL MURINE TRICHINELLOSIS

The majority of the medications used to treat trichinellosis had little bio-availability and a elevated resistance level. This work compared the usage of Curcuma longa extract, pomelo peels extract, and their chitosan (CS) nanoparticles (NPs) versus the existing albenazole treatment for experimental trichinellosis. A total of 49 male albino mice were used in this study. Healthy controls (GI), infected untreated controls (GII), Albendazole-treated infected group (GIII), infected group receiving pomelo peels extract (IV), infected group receiving pomelo peels extract-loaded CS NPs (GV), infected group receiving Curcuma longa extract (GVI), infected group receiving Curcuma longa extract-loaded CS NPs (GV), infected group receiving Curcuma longa extract loaded CS (G VII).They were divided into seven experimental groups: healthy control (GI), infected untreated control (GII), Albendazole administered infected group (GIII), infected group receiving pomelo peels extract (IV), infected group receiving pomelo peels extract-loaded CS NPs (GV), infected group receiving Curcuma longa extract (GVI), and infected group receiving Curcuma longa extract-loaded CS NPs (GVII). The extracts were given orally to experimentally infected mice at a rate of 100 mg/kg/day commencing 24 hours after infection and continuing for 14 days on parasite burden, histological alterations in the gut, skeletal muscle, and oxidative stress. Except for the healthy control group, all groups were infected orally with T. spiralis larvae at a dose of 200 larvae per mouse. On the 35th day following infection, all groups were sacrificed. The results demonstrated a significant reduction in adult worm count during the intestinal phase in all treated groups. The group treated with pomelo NPs had the highest reduction rate of adult worms, at 94.13 %. For the group treated by pomelo NPs, it showed better rank compared to non-infected group and albendazole administered infected group, as well as reduced larval count during muscle phase, the highest reduction rate of larvae was 80.2% for the group treated by Curcuma NPs. The same concept has been counted for the encysted phase. This was reflected further by improved parasite burden, histopathological alterations, cytokines and oxidative stress compared to control group and Albendazole administered infected group. TNF-α, IL-6, NOS2, SOD3, α-GST concentrations have been investigated in sera and showed that TNF-α, IL-6, and NOS2 levels have been elevated significantly (P >0.01) in infected group (GII), while SOD3 and α-GST levels have been significantly decreased compared to negative control (GI) (P>0.01). Treatment of infected mice with Curcuma and pomelo NPs have been significantly improved (P>0.05) all parameters levels in sera and back them close to the original levels of negative control. Finally, we can conclude that introduction of Curcuma and pomelo NPs could be of therapeutic potential use against trichinellosis.

Immunotherapy With Egg Yolk Eimeria sp.-Specific Immunoglobulins in SPF Leghorn Chicks Elicits Successful Protection Against Eimeria tenella Infection.

Avian coccidiosis is the first to most economically important parasite disease affecting poultry industries worldwide. Current prevention measures are largely based upon prophylactic chemotherapy supplemented by the application of live attenuated or wild-type parasite vaccines. However, the rising appearance of drug resistance, consumer's concern for antibiotics use in poultry production and higher manufacturing cost of live vaccines has driven to adopt new technologies aimed at increasing animal health and production efficiency. Supplementing chickens with egg yolk Eimeria sp.-specific immunoglobulins can be a viable alternative to avoid severe outbreaks of the disease. Twelve-week-old SPF White Leghorn chickens were experimentally infected with a large dose of E. tenella. During the prepatent period, the birds were supplemented by oral gavage with 60 or 120 mg/bird of hyperimmune egg yolk Eimeria species-specific immunoglobulins Y (Supracox®, SC) on a daily basis. The animals were euthanized 7 days post-infection (PI) and their passive immune protection was evaluated. Birds treated with 120 mg/bird of SC showed more viability, increased body weight gain (BWG), a normal hematocrit level (HCT), reduced oocyst output per gram of feces (OPG) or cecal tissue (OPGC), and fewer cecal lesions compared to the untreated infected (UI) control group. Birds supplemented with 60 mg/bird of SC did not show any significant difference on BWG, HCT, OPG, OPGC, and cecal lesion score when compared with the UI group. An ELISA test of the SC showed a weak cross-reactivity of IgY toward two asexual zoite stages of E. tenella. Western blot analysis of the sporozoite with SC showed few antigens barely recognized, while more stained bands were detected in the merozoite (≈82, ≈60, ≈54, ≈40, ≈38, ≈27.5, and ≈13 kDa). Oral immunotherapy using egg yolk polyclonal IgYs against Eimeria sp. represents an effective and natural resource against severe E. tenella infection favoring the gradual withdrawal of the anticoccidial drugs and antibiotics.

Supplementing functional amino acids and polyphenols at low dose can restore performance and amino acid digestibility in broilers challenged with coccidiosis

In broiler chickens, commercial intensive practices exacerbate the pressure of gut heath challenges such as coccidiosis. Coccidiosis impairs nutrient digestion, performance, livability of broiler chickens and reduces overall farm profitability. Literature reports that functional amino acids (AA; arginine, threonine, glutamine) and polyphenols could exert beneficial effects in broilers facing this challenge. The current study aimed at evaluating the efficiency of the supplementation of arginine, threonine and glutamine together with grape extract polyphenols (MIX) on performance, AA digestibility and gut morphology in broiler chickens challenged with coccidiosis.Two hundred eighty-eight (288) newly hatched male broiler chicks of commercial strain (Ross 308) were allocated to 3 treatments with 8 replications. For all except one treatment (Uninfected Untreated Control – UUC), birds were artificially challenged with ADVENT® coccidiosis vaccine 10x dose on day 14. Broiler chickens from the two challenged groups received either no supplementation (Infected Untreated Control – IUC) or a mix of arginine, threonine and glutamine together with grape extract polyphenols at a dose of 1 kg/Ton (IUC+MIX) from day 0 to day 35. Performance and livability were followed during the 35 days of the trial. Lesion scoring, duodenum morphology and fecal oocyst count were assessed on day 21. On day 25 nutrient digestibility was measured on a subset of birds. All data were subjected to an ANOVA and differences among means were detected by multiple range tests.During the course of the trial, coccidiosis challenge reduced growth (-3 g/d, P = 0.008) and feed conversion ratio (-3 pts, P = 0.013) without altering feed intake. It also increased total and species related lesion scores and oocyst counts in feces at d 21 (P < 0.0001). The supplementation of the additive mix restored performance to the same level as the UUC treatment but had no effect on lesion scores and fecal oocyst count. Interestingly, the coccidiosis challenge reduced villous height in duodenum (P = 0.016) which translated into lower digestibility of all AA (P < 0.05), except phenylalanine. The addition of the mix mitigated partially the effect of the challenge on digestibility and to a lesser extent on gut morphology. This study reports that the supplementation of a selected combination of functional amino acids and grape extract polyphenols can fully restore performance of coccidiosis-challenged birds with an improvement of AA digestibility. The results of this study suggest that the mode of action of the mix does not rely on a direct effect on lesion scores, oocyst count or gut morphology and still needs to be determined.

Ethyl acetate extract of Streptomyces spp. isolated from Egyptian soil for management of Fusarium oxysporum: The causing agent of wilt disease of tomato

Tomato crops faced dangerous problems due to their attack by Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. lycopersici , the causing agent of wilt disease. Chemical treatments of such diseases caused many hazardous impacts to soil and human. For this reason, the biological control is considered as an alternative and sustainable tool for curing several plant diseases. The present work is undertaken with the aim of treating Fusarium -contaminated tomato seeds with ethyl acetate extracts from isolated Steptomyces spp., in greenhouse studies. Fifteen Steptomyces spp., isolated from native tomato rhizospheric soils, were evaluated for their antagonistic potential against Fusarium wilt pathogen . Three isolates that exhibited higher antagonistic effect were molecularly identified. Their ethyl acetate extracts (EAE) exhibited antifungal activity against the target pathogen, with higher potential with S. carpaticus EGY-S7 strain. Greenhouse assay indicated that seed treatment by the selected EAE of Steptomyces spp., isolates significantly reduced disease severity and possessed seedlings growth promoting potential of tomato ranging from 72.6 to 83.0% compared to infected control (63.4%) and chemical fungicide (76.2%). Accordingly, strain S. carpaticus EGY-S7 showed higher control efficacy (83.0%) as well as significantly increased the biomass of tomato seedlings (plant height, leaves number, fresh and dry weight) compared to a positive control (with infested soil). Additionally, it was superior to other strains, in which total polyphenols, polyphenoloxidase and peroxidase enzymes were significantly enhanced in tomato seedlings compared with untreated-infected control. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis of EAE derived from S. carpaticus EGY-S7 strain was also identified. • Isolation of the fungal pathogens ( Fusarium spp.) from infected tomato plants. • Isolation of Streptomyces spp. from the surroundings soil of infected plants. • Measuring the antagonistic effect between isolates. • Production of bioactive compounds from Streptomyces spp. • Studying the effect of Streptomyces spp. extracts on the growth of tomato seedlings.

Remarkable histopathological improvement of experimental toxoplasmosis after receiving spiramycin-chitosan nanoparticles formulation.

The present study investigated the anti-Toxoplasma effect of chitosan nanoparticles [CS NPs], spiramycin, spiramycin co-administered with metronidazole and spiramycin-CS NPs formulation on the parasite burden and histopathological changes in the liver, spleen and brain in experimentally infected mice. Seventy male Swiss albino mice were classified into seven equal groups: healthy control (I), infected untreated control (II), infected group receiving CS NPs (III), spiramycin administered infected group (IV), infected group receiving spiramycin-metronidazole (V), infected receiving 400mg/kg spiramycin-CS NPs (VI) and infected treated with spiramycin-loaded CS NPs 100mg/kg (VII). All groups were inoculated intraperitoneally with 2500T. gondii tachyzoites RH strain except the healthy control group. All groups were sacrificed on the 8th day after infection. Density of the parasite and histopathological examination of the liver, spleen and brain of all treated mice revealed reduction in the mean tachyzoites count as well as decreased inflammation, congestion and necrosis within tissue sections. Spiramycin-loaded NPs displayed the highest significant reduction in the pathological insult tailed by spiramycin-metronidazole and CS NPs. In conclusion, spiramycin-loaded CS NPs showed a promising synergistic combination in the treatment of the histopathology caused by toxoplasmosis.

Invivo Anti-schistosomal Activity Of Methanolic Extract From Azadirachta Indica (neem) Seed Kernel In Experimentally Infected Wister Rats

Background: Schistosomiasis is one of the neglected tropical parasitic diseases of socioeconomic and public health importance and there is need to search for a potent anti-schistosomal drugs from among our rich medicinal plant population. Objective: The objective of the study was to determine the in vivo anti-schistosomal activity of Azadirachta indica methanolic extract seed kernel in experimentally infected Wister rats. Methodology: Forty (40) Albino rats were randomized into eight (8) groups each of five rats to include the treatment and control groups. Thirty-five (35) Rats were infected each with 150 cercariae and treated orally with varying doses of Azadirachta indica methanolic extract seed kernel at doses 400mg/kg, 600mg/kg, 800mg/kg and 1000mg/kg bodyweight of the animals at eight weeks post-infection. Praziquantel was used as positive control and infected untreated group was used as negative control. Mean worm recovery as well as percentage reduction were used as an indicator of drug activity relative to the infected untreated control group.Results: The extracts showed significant dose dependent percentage worm reduction and mean worm recovery count at various doses ranging from 21±0.80 to 5.60±0.76 and percentage worm reduction ranging from 78.3% to 94.2%. Anti-schistosomal activity of methanol extract of Azadirachta indica seed kernel was confirmed to be dose dependent. The evidence of anti-schistosomal activity of the extract was supported by reduced pathological changes (induced by the infection). Conclusion: Our research showed that methanolic extract of neem seed kernel has anti-schistosomal activity and is effective in reducing worm burden in rats after schistosomiasis infection. The plant may be considered if standardized to fight the Schistosome infection in humans

Novel Small Molecule Growth Inhibitors of Xanthomonas spp. Causing Bacterial Spot of Tomato.

Bacterial spot (BS) of tomato, caused by Xanthomonas gardneri, X. perforans, X. vesicatoria, and X. euvesicatoria, is difficult to control because of the high prevalence of copper- and streptomycin-resistant strains and the lack of resistance cultivars and effective bactericides. The objective of this study was to identify novel growth inhibitors of BS-causing Xanthomonas (BS-X) species by using small molecules (SM; n = 4,182). Several SMs (X1, X2, X5, X9, X12, and X16) completely inhibited the growth of BS-X isolates (n = 68 X. gardneri, 55 X. perforans, 4 X. vesicatoria, and 32 X. euvesicatoria) at ≥12.5 µM by disrupting Xanthomonas cell integrity through weakening of the cell membrane and formation of pores. These SMs were also effective against biofilm-embedded, copper- and streptomycin-resistant Xanthomonas strains while having minimal impact on other plant pathogenic (n = 20) and beneficial bacteria (n = 12). Furthermore, these SMs displayed equivalent antimicrobial activity against BS-X in seeds and X. gardneri in seedlings compared with conventional control methods (copper sulfate and streptomycin) at similar concentrations while having no detectable toxicity to tomato tissues. SMs X2, X5, and X12 reduced X. gardneri, X. perforans, X. vesicatoria, and X. euvesicatoria populations in artificially infested seeds ≤3.4-log CFU/seed 1 day postinfection (dpi) compared with the infested untreated control (P ≤ 0.05). SMs X1, X2, X5, and X12 reduced disease severity ≤72% and engineered bioluminescent X. gardneri populations ≤3.0-log CFU/plant in infected seedlings at 7 dpi compared with the infected untreated control (P ≤ 0.05). Additional studies are needed to increase the applicability of these SMs for BS management in tomato production.

Effect of Pre and Post Infection Administration of Zinc and Selenium on some Biochemical indices in Wistar Rats infected with Trypanosoma brucei

Aims: The effect of pre and post-infection administration of zinc and selenium on Trypanosoma brucei brucei infection in wistar rats on some biochemical parameters were investigated.&#x0D; Study Design: The study was designed to evaluate the effect of pre and post infection administration of zinc and selenium on Trypanosoma brucei brucei infection in wistar rats.&#x0D; Place and Duration of Study: The study was conducted at the Nigerian Institute for Trypanosomiasis Research (NITR), Kaduna and Department of Biochemistry, Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria, between January 2014 to March 2014.&#x0D; Methodology: Fifty four (54) wistar rats were divided into nine groups of six (6) rats each. Groups III-IX were infected intraperitoneally with 1x103parasite load. Animals in group III were infected but untreated while the infected/treated groups received prophylactic (IV, V and VI) and therapeutic (VII, VIII and IX) treatment with zinc and selenium 50mg/kg and 10mg/kg body weight respectively.&#x0D; Results: Results obtained showed that serum alkaline phosphatase (ALP), alanine amino transferase (ALT) and aspartate amino transferase (AST) activities in the infected-untreated control group were significantly different (P&lt;0.05) and higher as compared to infected treated and normal control. Similarly, the two minerals significantly decreased (P&lt;0.05) the levels of Urea and Creatinine in the infected treated when compared to the infected untreated rats, with the exception of creatinine value of the post-infected treated with selenium where there was no significant (P&gt;0.05) decrease. On the other hand, a significant (P&lt;0.05) increase in serum levels of total Protein, albumin and total bilirubin and no significant (P&gt;0.05) difference in direct bilirubin was recorded in infected treated group compared to infected untreated and normal control.&#x0D; Conclusion: It was concluded that administration of zinc and selenium ameliorate the infection-induced biochemical changes in tissues and organs associated with Trypanosoma brucei brucei infection in Wistar rats.

Niosomal versus nano-crystalline ivermectin against different stages of Trichinella spiralis infection in mice.

Ivermectin (IVM) is one of the competitive treatments used for trichinellosis. However, several studies linked its efficacy with early diagnosis and administration to tackle the intestinal phase with limited activity being recorded against encysted larvae. The aim of this study was to employ niosomes for enhancing effectiveness of oral IVM against different stages of Trichinella spiralis (T. spiralis) infection with reference to nano-crystalline IVM. Mice were randomized into four groups: group Ι, 15 uninfected controls; group ΙΙ, 30 infected untreated controls; group ΙΙΙ, 30 infected nano-crystalline IVM treated, and group ΙV, 30 infected niosomal IVM treated. All groups were equally subdivided into 3 subgroups; (a) treated on the 1st day post infection (dpi), (b) treated on the 10th dpi, and (c) treated on the 30th dpi. Assessment was done by counting adult worms and larvae plus histopathological examination of jejunum and diaphragm. Biochemical assessment of oxidant/antioxidant status, angiogenic, and inflammatory biomarkers in intestinal and muscle tissues was also performed. Both niosomes and nano-crystals resulted in significant reduction in adult and larval counts compared to the infected untreated control with superior activity of niosomal IVM. The superiority of niosomes was expressed further by reduction of inflammation in both jejunal and muscle homogenates. Biochemical parameters showed highly significant differences in all treated mice compared to infected untreated control at different stages with highly significant effect of niosomal IVM. In conclusion, niosomal IVM efficacy exceeded the nano-crystalline IVM in treatment of different phases of trichinellosis.

Effect of spiramycin versus aminoguanidine and their combined use in experimental toxoplasmosis.

Toxoplasmosis is one of the widest spread parasitic infections which is caused by Toxoplasma gondii protozoon. Many experimental studies have evaluated the effect of aminoguanidine upon parasitic load and inflammatory process. However, few reports have illustrated the impact of combining aminoguanidine with spiramycin in the treatment of toxoplasmosis. Therefore, our study aimed to explore the possible effects of spiramycin used alone and combined with aminoguanidine against the avirulent (ME49) Toxoplasma gondii strain in experimental toxoplasmosis. Fifty-five Swiss albino mice were included in the study and were divided into five groups: (GI): non-infected control group; (GII): infected untreated control group; (GIII): infected- spiramycin treated group; (GIV): infected-aminoguanidine treated group; (GV): infected and received combination of spiramycin and aminoguanidine. Obtained results exhibited a significant increase in brain cysts numbers in aminoguanidine treated groups compared to infected untreated control groups. Histopathological studies denoted that combination between spiramycin and aminoguanidine improved the pathological features only in liver and heart tissues of the studied groups. Moreover, it was noticed that spiramycin administered alone had no effect on nitric oxide expression, whereas its combination with aminoguanidine had an inhibitory effect on inducible nitric oxide synthase enzyme in brain, liver and heart tissues of different study groups. In conclusion, the combination of spiramycin and aminoguanidine significantly reduced the parasitic burden, yet, it failed to resolve the pathological sequels in brain tissues of Toxoplasma gondii infected mice.

Therapeutic efficacy of mebendazole and artemisinin in different phases of trichinellosis: a comparative experimental study.

The present work aimed at studying the efficacy of mebendazole (MBZ) compared to artemisinin (ART) for the treatment of trichinellosis at various phases of infection. Seventy Swiss albino mice were orally infected by 300 Trichinella spiralis (T. spiralis) larvae. Mice were divided into infected untreated control group and infected groups treated with 50 mg kg-1 MBZ and 300 mg kg-1 ART for three and five consecutive days, respectively, at the enteral phase [2-4 days post infection (PI)], invasive phase (10-12 days PI) and encapsulated phase (28-30 days PI). All mice were sacrificed 35-42 days PI. MBZ and ART revealed a significant decrease in mean larval counts and increase of larval per cent reduction (LR %) when treatment was initiated during the enteral phase compared to the other phases. MBZ showed significantly higher LR % (99.7, 83.95 and 89.65%) than ART (80.58, 67.0 and 79.2%) when administered at the three infection phases. Histopathological study showed a decrease in the number of encysted larvae, their surrounding cellular infiltrates and increased regenerative muscles in all treated mice. In conclusion, ART possesses a substantial anthelmintic activity against T. spiralis infection in mice both at the enteral and encapsulated phases, yet, significantly lower than MBZ.

Oxidative stress mediated apoptotic potential of mefloquine on experimental trichinellosis

Conventional anthelmintics such as albendazole could not achieve complete cure of trichinellosis till now. The antimalarial mefloquine mediates oxidative stress and disrupts lysosomal functions leading to cell death. Therefore, the aim of this work was to investigate the effect of mefloquine on experimental acute and chronic trichinellosis and to clarify the possible mechanisms of such effects. Mice were divided into four groups; Group I: Uninfected untreated control (20 mice); Group II: Infected untreated control (40 mice); Group III: infected and treated with albendazole (400 mg/kg) (40 mice); Group IV: infected and treated with mefloquine (300 mg/kg) (40 mice). All infected treated groups were equally subdivided into 2 subgroups; (a) treated on the 2nd day post infection (dpi) for 3 days, (b) treated on the 35th dpi for 5 days. Parasitological adults and larvae counting besides immunohistopathological examination of intestines and muscles were done. Biochemical assay of oxidant/antioxidant status, apoptotic, cytoprotective and inflammatory biomarkers in intestinal and muscle homogenates were achieved. Results showed that both albendazole and mefloquine significantly reduced adults and larvae counts with higher efficacy of albendazole in the intestinal phase and superiority of mefloquine in the muscle phase. The superiority of mefloquine was indicated by increased inflammatory immune infiltration and decreased anti-apoptotic immunohistochemical markers expression in both jejunal and muscle tissues. Biochemically, mefloquine treatment showed highly significant oxidative, apoptotic and inflammatory effects. So, our results suggest that mefloquine might be a superior treatment for chronic trichinellosis.

In vitro and in vivo Anti-Toxoplasma activity of Dracocephalum kotschyi essential oil.

Toxoplasma gondii is a zoonotic parasite of worldwide importance, responsible for toxoplasmosis in homeotherms. Although treatment options are readily available, most drugs often cause serious side effects. Extracts of Dracocephalum kotschyi (D. kotschyi) have shown significant pharmacological activity against various parasites, viruses, and bacteria. In this study, we evaluated the anti‐T. gondii activity in vitro and in vivo of D. kotschyi essential oil. The thiazolyl blue tetrazolium bromide (MTT) method was used to assess the anti‐T. gondii activity and cytotoxicity of the essential oil. The presence of T. gondii was observed by Giemsa staining, and the viability was evaluated by the trypan blue staining method. Furthermore, the survival rate of acutely infected mice was evaluated by intraperitoneal injecting of the essential oil (50, 100, and 200 mg kg−1 day−1) for five days after infection with 2 × 104 tachyzoites. Essential oil, negative, and positive controls that showed the best toxoplasmacidal activity were assayed in triplicate at each concentration. The essential oil exhibited the highest anti‐Toxoplasma activity with a half‐maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) of 9.94 ± 0.38 µg, with a selectivity index of 2.463. On Vero cells, the CC50 of the oil was 24.49 ± 0.96 µg and exhibited a significant anti‐Toxoplasma activity. Moreover, the treatment by essential oil significantly increased the survival rate compared to untreated infected control. In conclusion, the essential oil might be a useful compound, and with more testing, it may be an excellent alternative to standard chemical drugs in the treatment of toxoplasmosis.