Helminth Parasites Research Articles

Toward anthelmintic drug candidates for toxocariasis: Challenges and recent developments.

Infections caused by parasitic helminths rank among the most prevalent infections of humans and animals. Toxocariasis, caused by nematodes of the genus Toxocara, is one of the most widespread and economically important zoonotic parasitic infections that humans share with dogs and cats. Despite the completion of the Toxocara canis draft genome project, which has been an important step towards advancing the understanding of this parasite and the search for drug targets, the treatment of toxocariasis has been dependent on a limited set of drugs, necessitating the search for novel anthelmintic agents, specially against Toxocara larvae in tissues. Given that research, development, and innovation are crucial to finding appropriate solutions in the fight against helminthiasis, this paper reviews the progress made in the discovery of anthelmintic drug candidates for toxocariasis. The main compounds reported in the recent years regards on analogues of albendazole, reactive quinone derivatives and natural produts and its analogues. Nanoparticles and formulations were also reviewed. The in vitro and/or in vivo anthelmintic properties of such alternatives are herein discussed as well as the opportunities and challenges for treatment of human toxocariasis. The performed review clarify that the scarcity of validated molecular targets and limited chemical space explored are the main bottlenecks for advancing in the field of anti-Toxocara agents.

Gastrointestinal parasites of feral pigeon (Columba livia Gmelin, 1789) at two temples of Kathmandu valley

Protozoans, helminths and other gastrointestinal (GI) parasitic infections in Aves are an imperative but often ignored topic in rising nations like Nepal. Accurate inspections of GI parasites in feral pigeons inform pragmatic treatment regimens. In a prospective examination of intestinal parasites in the coprological study of feral pigeons in April 2016, a total of 120 samples were preserved in 2.5% potassium dichromate and examined by microscopy of direct and concentrated faecal sample techniques to detect ova, larvae, and oocysts of parasites. Altogether 109 (90.83%) samples were positive with 6 genera of GI parasites. The study identified one genus of protozoa: Eimeria sp. (43.34%) and five genera of helminths: Capillaria sp. (51.67%), Ascaridia sp. (27.50%), Heterakis sp. (19.17%), Syngamus sp. (4.17%) and Tetrameres sp. (1.70%). The prevalence rate of helminth parasites (83.34%) was higher than the prevalence rate of protozoan parasites (43.34%). The present study revealed a significant difference in the prevalence of helminths and protozoan parasites (χ²=15.14, p<0.05). However, the prevalence of gastrointestinal parasites showed no significant variation with respect to single and mixed infection (χ² =1.56, p>0.05). The present study examined a higher prevalence rate of gastrointestinal parasites due to a lack of deworming programs in feral pigeons and a lack of sustainable action designs. Therefore, the sustainable action design and its implementation to control parasitic infection and reduce the health hazards of feral temple pigeons were recommended.

Validation of an LC-MS/MS method for assessment of fenbendazole sulfone drug residue in northern bobwhite liver.

The Northern Bobwhite (Colinus virginianus) is an economically important game bird within the Rolling Plains Ecoregion. Within this region, bobwhite is experiencing extreme cyclic population fluctuations which are resulting in a net decline in total population. It is suspected that within this region two helminth parasites, an eyeworm (Oxyspirura petrowi) and a cecal worm (Aulonocephalus pennula), are contributing to this phenomenon. However, this has been difficult to study as the primary mode of investigation would be the deployment of anthelmintic treatment. Unfortunately, no registered treatments for wild bobwhite currently exist. Thus, utilizing an anthelmintictreatment for wild bobwhite would require registration of that treatment with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). As bobwhite are game birds that are hunted, they are considered food-producing animals to the FDA, and as such require the assessment for the withdrawal of the drug residues to be assessed for human food safety. In this study, we optimized and validated a bioanalytical method for the quantification of fenbendazole sulfone in bobwhite following the U.S. FDA Center for Veterinary Medicine Guidance for Industry #208 [VICH GL 49 (R)] for assessment of fenbendazole sulfone drug residue in Northern bobwhite liver. The official method for quantifying fenbendazole sulfone in domestic chicken (Gallus gallus) was adapted for use in bobwhite. The validated method quantitation range is 2.5-30 ng/mL for fenbendazole with an average recovery of 89.9% in bobwhite liver.

Prevalence and risk factors for prenatal parasitic infections and anaemia among pregnant women in Kaduna State, Nigeria

In developing nations, anaemia is one of the most prevalent medical conditions. It has long been known that parasite infection during pregnancy is one of the main causes of anaemia and an elevated risk of maternal mortality. To ascertain the prevalence and risk factors related to parasite infections and anaemia among pregnant women receiving prenatal care in some selected public health facilities in Kaduna State, Nigeria, an eleven-month cross- sectional study of 180 consenting pregnant women was conducted from February to December 2017. A standardized questionnaire was used to interview the sampled pregnant women. Stool and blood samples of each consented pregnant woman were collected. Formal-ether sedimentation technique, thin and thick blood smears and haematocrit packed cell volume capillary methods were used to screen intestinal helminth parasites, plasmodium species and Packed Cell Volume (PCV) respectively. The result obtained showed parasitic infections prevalence of 102(56.7%) among the study population. Prevalence of Plasmodium species, hookworm, Ascaris lumbricoides and those with co-infection all occurred at 47.2%, 16.7%, 17.8% and 25.0% respectively. Age, educational level, trimester and parity were all significant predictors of Plasmodium species prevalence (p<0.005). Similarly, parity and educational level were significantly (p<0.005) associated with the prevalence of intestinal parasites and co-infection. Anaemia was present in 40.0% of the examined pregnant women. Trimester and educational level were highly significant (p<0.001) predictors of anaemia among the sampled pregnant women. Plasmodium species were the most common parasitic species associated with anaemia as 43.1% of Plasmodium species-infected pregnant women had anaemia compared to those with intestinal helminth infection (30.6%) and co-infection (13.3%). However, statistical analysis revealed a significant association (p<0.05) between the prevalence of anaemia and intestinal helminth infection. Therefore, measures such as improved sanitation and health education are needed to lessen the prevalence of parasitic infections and parasite-related anaemia in the study area.

Further Studies on Helminth Parasites of Fish in Asa Dam, Kwara State, Nigeria

Studies on parasites in fish have been a great concern for over a decade now due to disease conditions, overall nutritive devaluation and huge economic loss that resulted from parasitic infections. Added to the potential of infected fish to be a source of infections to man and other animals. The present study is, however, designed to ascertain the parasitic infection in fish from Asa Dam, Kwara State, Nigeria. Atotal number of 196 fish belonging to 10 families and 18 species were examined for helminth infection with an overall prevalence rate of 31.10%. Parasites were recovered from the skin, gills, body cavity, intestine, and liver of the fish host. Trematode was the most prevalent parasite group found in the fish host and represented 79.5% of the isolated parasites, followed by Cestode (7.14%), and Acanthocephalan was the least group (0.4%) recovered. Most of the Trematodes were recovered from T. zillii and H. fasciatus (109 and 56 respectively), while C. anguillaris, C. senegalensis, C. gariepinus and C. obscura have no cases of trematode. 2.55% of the cestodes were recovered from C. gariepinus while the overall index of infection was significantly high in T. zillii (48.90%) and H. fasciatus (40.44%). The overall prevalence of parasites examined in relation to sex indicates that males had 33.7% females had 28.4% prevalence accordingly with no significant difference (P> 0.05). This finding indicates that there is a high parasitic load as evident by the infection rate on the examined fishes, as such adequate measures should be put in place to reduce and prevent the parasites from spreading.

Identification of Omega-class glutathione transferases in helminths of the Taeniidae family

Glutathione transferase enzymes (GSTs) are believed to be a major detoxification system in helminth parasites and have been associated with immunomodulation of the host response. Echinococcus granulosus sensu lato (s.l.) is a cestode parasite known to express at least five different GSTs, but no Omega-class enzymes have been reported in this parasite or in any other cestode. Herein we report the identification of a new member of the GST superfamily in E. granulosus s.l., which is phylogenetically related to the Omega-class: EgrGSTO. Through mass spectrometry, we showed that the 237 amino acids protein EgrGSTO is expressed by the parasite. Moreover, we identified homologues of EgrGSTO in other eight members of the Taeniidae family, including E. canadensis, E. multilocularis, E. oligarthrus, Hydatigera taeniaeformis, Taenia asiatica, T. multiceps, T. saginata and T. solium. A manual sequence inspection and rational modification yielded eight Taeniidae’s GSTO sequences, each one encoding for a 237 aa polypeptide showing 80.2% overall identity. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first description of genes encoding for Omega-class GSTs in worms belonging to the Taeniidae family -that at least in E. granulosus s.l. is expressed as a protein- suggesting the gene encodes for a functional protein.

Application of a universal parasite diagnostic test to biological specimens collected from animals.

A previously described universal parasite diagnostic (nUPDx) based on PCR amplification of the 18S rDNA and deep-amplicon sequencing, can detect human blood parasites with a sensitivity comparable to real-time PCR. To date, the efficacy of this assay has only been assessed on human blood. This study assessed the utility of nUPDx for the detection of parasitic infections in animals using blood, tissues, and other biological sample types from mammals, birds, and reptiles, known to be infected with helminth, apicomplexan, or pentastomid parasites (confirmed by microscopy or PCR), as well as negative samples. nUPDx confirmed apicomplexan and/or nematode infections in 24 of 32 parasite-positive mammals, while also identifying several undetected coinfections. nUPDx detected infections in 6 of 13 positive bird and 1 of 2 positive reptile samples. When applied to 10 whole parasite specimens (worms and arthropods), nUPDx identified all to the genus or family level, and detected one incorrect identification made by morphology. Babesia sp. infections were detected in 5 of the 13 samples that were negative by other diagnostic approaches. While nUPDx did not detect PCR/microscopy-confirmed trichomonads or amoebae in cloacal swabs/tissue from 8 birds and 2 reptiles due to primer template mismatches, 4 previously undetected apicomplexans were detected in these samples. Future efforts to improve the utility of the assay should focus on validation against a larger panel of tissue types and animal species. Overall, nUPDx shows promise for use in both veterinary diagnostics and wildlife surveillance, especially because species-specific PCRs can miss unknown or unexpected pathogens.

Steroid and Triterpenoid Compounds with Antiparasitic Properties.

Parasitic diseases affect millions of people and animals, predominantly in the tropics, including visitors to tropical countries and other areas. Efficient and low-cost treatments for infections caused by various parasites are not yet available. Antiparasitic drugs have some drawbacks, such as toxicity and the development of resistance by parasites. This has motivated many researchers to focus on the discovery of safe, effective and affordable antiparasitic drugs, both among drugs already available for other diseases and new compounds synthesized or isolated from natural sources. Furthermore, steroid and triterpenoid compounds attract the attention of pharmacologists, chemists and biochemists owing to their broad application in the treatment of various diseases. Isolation of steroid and triterpenoid compounds from natural sources with antiparasitic efficacy is an attractive choice for scientists. On the other hand, these compounds can be transformed into more potent forms by modifying the basic skeleton. This review presents a collection of isolated and synthesized steroid and triterpenoid compounds from 2018 to 2021 that have been reported to be effective against certain parasitic protozoa and helminths. A total of 258 compounds have been identified with antimalarial, antitrypanosomal, antileishmanial, anti-Toxoplasma, and/or anthelmintic activity. The described investigations of antiparasitic compounds may be helpful for further drug development.

Improving the detection of Angiostrongylus cantonensis in the brain tissues of mammalian hosts

Angiostrongylus cantonensis is an invasive nematode parasite that causes eosinophilic meningitis in many vertebrate hosts, including humans. This parasite is spreading rapidly through the six continents, with Europe being the final frontier. Sentinel surveillance may be a cost-effective strategy to monitor the pathogen's arrival to new geographical regions. Necropsy, followed by tissue digestion, is often used to recover helminth parasites from vertebrate host tissues, however, to detect brain parasites, this protocol is poorly utilized. Our brain digestion protocol is easily performed and 1) reduces false positivity and negativity, 2) provides accurate estimates of parasite burden and 3) helps establish a more precise prevalence. Early detection of A. cantonensis increases the efficacy of prevention, treatment, and disease control strategies for susceptible animal populations and humans.

Specific Diversity of Helminth Parasites of the Edible Frog Hoplobatrachus occipitalis (Günther, 1858) in Agricultural Landscapes in the South-East of Ivory Coast, Africa.

This study describes the specific diversity of Helminth parasites of the edible frog Hoplobatrachus occipitalis (Günther, 1858) to assess the rate of infestation in three types of plantations (coconut, palm and banana plantations) in the south-east of Africa. A total of 156 frog specimens were collected in November 2019 from all the plantations and ten parasitic Helminth taxa were recorded. The overall prevalence (93.6%) showed a high infestation of the frog in these anthropized environments. The banana plantations that use the most fertilizers and pesticides had the highest prevalence (95.2%) suggesting pollution-related parasitic load. The number of parasites was higher in female frogs than in males, suggesting a sex-specific immune resistance. This study also highlights the parasite specificity and the sites of Helminth infestations. Trematodes of the genus Haematoelochus and Diplodiscus showed strict specificity in the lungs and large intestine/rectum of the host. The other parasites colonized the digestive tract with a more or less marked specificity. Our study provides several elements of response on the population of Helminth parasites of the edible frog Hoplobatrachus occipitalis, with a view to better knowledge, management, conservation and protection.

Some Haemo-biochemical Changes Induced by Gastrointestinal Parasites of Cultured and Wild African Catfish in Zaria, Kaduna, Nigeria

The present study investigated the occurrence of gastrointestinal (GIT) parasites and their relationship with some haemato-biochemical parameters in wild and cultured catfish (Clarias gariepinus) in Zaria and its Environs, Nigeria. A total of two hundred and forty (240) African catfish (Clarias gariepinus) were sampled from cultured ponds and some water bodies around Zaria. About 2 ml of blood was collected from the caudal vein of each catfish and dispensed into EDTA and plain sample bottles for haematological and serum biochemical analysis, respectively. After blood sample collection, the catfish were dissected longitudinally to examine for parasites (GIT) grossly and using Simple flotation technique for parasite eggs and oocysts of Helminthes and protozoans. Modified Ziehl Neelson staining technique was further performed on oocysts suspected to be Cryptosporidium. Percentage distributions of the various parasites include: Crytosporidium oocysts, Eimeria oocysts and nematodes were 86.2%, 48.4% and 40% in the wild; as against 13.8%, 51.6% and 60% in cultured Clarias gariepinus, respectively. The PCV, RBC, and Hb were significantly lower (p <0.05) in the infected (28.0 ± 0.331%, 3.4 ± 0.592 x 1012/L, 8.3 ± 0.174 g/dl) compare with the uninfected Clarias gariepinus (33.3 ± 0.229%, 3.9 ± 0.050 x 1012/L, 10.5 ± 0.110 g/dl), respectively. However, the WBC was significantly higher (p = 0.041) in the infected (4.5 ± 0.047 x 109 /L) when compared to the uninfected (3.9 ± 0.017 x 109 /L) Clarias gariepinus species. Also, there were statistically significant increases (p><0.05) in the mean values of AST, ALT, and ALP in the infected (82.2 ± 1.037 U/L, 95.8 ± 1.209 U/L, 68.8 ± 1.180 U/L) when compared with the uninfected (60.7 ± 0.741 U/L, 68.9 ± 0.844 U/L, 47.1 ± 0.759 U/L) Clarias gariepinus, respectively. The results of present study overserved that helminth parasites induce haematobiochemical changes.

Tracking life cycles of parasites across a broad taxonomic scale in a marine ecosystem

Parasitic helminths exhibit remarkable diversity in their life cycles, although few parasite species have their whole life cycles resolved. Owing to the fact that parasite life stages within hosts are often not comparable using morphological data, genetic data provides convincing evidence of transmission pathways between intermediate and definitive hosts. We took this approach to an ecosystem level, genetically matching parasite (acanthocephalan, cestode, nematode and trematode) life stages across a broad taxonomic range of intermediate and definitive hosts (invertebrates, seabirds, elasmobranchs and teleost fish) in Otago’s (New Zealand) coastal marine ecosystem. We identified which transmission routes are utilized by the most parasite species and assessed which intermediate hosts are most important in facilitating the transmission of parasites in this ecosystem. Our findings reveal 59 new records of larval parasites infecting their respective intermediate hosts and 289 transmission pathways utilized by 35 helminth species to complete their life cycles. Sprat, triplefin and arrow squid all hosted the highest number of larval parasite species, suggesting they play important roles as intermediate hosts. We then used the new life cycle data to provide a synthetic overview of the life cycles known for various parasite groups in New Zealand. This study highlights how studying parasite life cycles can enhance our understanding of the ecology and evolution of parasites and hosts in natural systems, beyond simply resolving life cycles.

Molecular Characterization of Avitellina lahorea Woodland, 1927 (Class Cestoda; Family Anoplocephalidae) Infecting Sheep and Goats Raised in India.

Tapeworms of Avitellina spp. are among those gastrointestinal parasitic helminths which infect wild and domestic ruminants worldwide leading to various clinical manifestations in the ruminant hosts, thereby causing considerable economic losses in livestock production. While these worms are among the major constraints in ruminant livestock raising, there is very meagre molecular information available making their identity error-prone. This study aimed to provide insights into the genetic characterization of these economically important tapeworms. In the present study, we examined 480 guts of slaughtered goats (n = 413) and sheep (n = 67) of which 74 guts were found infected with anoplocephalid cestodes (sheep gut:18; goat gut:56). A total of 27 Avitellina lahorea worms (19 from goat and 8 from sheep) were isolated, fixed, relaxed and stained using Gower's carmine stain. For molecular analyses, the genomic DNA was extracted and fragments of cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 (cox1) gene, internal transcribed spacer1-5.8S ribosomal RNA (ITS1-5.8S rRNA) gene, and small subunit ribosomal RNA (18S rRNA) gene were amplified and sequenced. Based on snail-shaped paruterine organs and other morphological and morphometric features, the worms were identified as Avitellina lahorea. The phylogenetic analyses, based on our original cox1 gene sequence and those available from NCBI GenBank, showed Avitellina tapeworms as a sister lineage of Thysaniezia with 14 to 17% genetic divergence. Molecular analyses of 18S rRNA gene sequences depicted the present isolate as one of the species of the genus Avitellina clustering with A. centripunctata as a separate species in the phylogenetic tree with 92% homogeneity in sequences. In conjunction with existing data of internal transcribed spacer1-5.8S rRNA (ITS1-5.8S rRNA) gene, the phylogenetic analysis placed the present isolate among the anoplocephalids as one of the species. The present study is the first molecular report on A. lahorea isolated from sheep and goats with the simultaneous use of a morphological approach, and certainly contributes to bridging the existing gaps in the understanding of these economically important parasites.

Detection Of Parasitic Helminth In Gabus Fish (Channa Striata) Natural Catches At Baduk Fish Market Nganjuk Regency

This study aimed to detect the existence and identify, also to determine the prevalence and degree of infection from parasitic helminth in gabus fish (Channa striata) natural catches at Baduk Fish Market, Nganjuk Regency. In 50 samples of gabus fish, parasitic helminths were examined on the body surface, gills, abdominal cavity, muscles, and digestive tract then identified. Parasitic helminths from digestive tract stained with Semichen Acetic Carmine method. Parasitic helminths that have been identified then calculate the prevalence and degree of infection. The result showed that the parasitic helminths found in gabus fish consist of the genera Pallisentis, Spinitectus, Dactylogyrus, and Gyrodactylus. Pallisentis sp. included in Phylum Acanthocephala, found to infect the intestines with prevalence of 74% and degree of infection of 5,62 parasite each fish. Spinitectus sp. included in Phylum Nematoda, found to infect the stomach and intestines with prevalence of 48% and degree of infection of 8 parasite each fish. Dactylogyrus sp. included in Class Monogenea, found to infect the gills with prevalence of 80% and degree of infection of 1,95 parasite each fish. Gyrodactylus sp. included in Class Monogenea, found to infect the body surface with prevalence of 42% and infection rate of 1,33 parasite each fish.

Prevalence of Protozoan and Helminths Parasitic Infection in Palpa, Nepal

In rural areas of underdeveloped countries, the parasitic infestation is a major public health issue for children and the elderly. The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of parasite infestations and risk variables related to Palpa parasitic infestations. The population sample was selected from the Tansen area's usual population, as determined by randomized cluster sampling. A total of 700 samples were collected, with 280 persons from urban regions and 420 from rural areas, for a total of 100 people from various categories in each health center. Data were collected for each person based on their age, gender, and place of residence (urban or rural), as well as through a semi-structured questionnaire and a personal interview. Each health center's laboratory technician team conducted the microscopic investigation of samples (blood, urine, and feces). Five protozoal and six helminth parasites were found among the 11 parasites, with eight kinds of gastrointestinal parasites and three species of blood parasites. The most frequent parasites were discovered to be Entamoeba histolytica, Giardia lamblia, and Ascaris lumbricoides. Females and those who live in rural areas are more likely to be parasite-infested. Prevalence was highest among children under the age of 15 and the elderly. Administrators, health experts, and the community need to approve improvements in the living environment and cleaning practices to break the transmission cycle of parasitic illnesses, health education, and community approval.

SPATIAL VARIATION IN HELMINTH PARASITE COMMUNITIES OF THE FRENCH GRUNT, HAEMULON FLAVOLINEATUM (TELEOSTEI: HAEMULIDAE), FROM THE YUCATAN PENINSULA.

The French grunt, Haemulon flavolineatum, is an abundant fish and a good model for studying parasite communities. Specimens were collected at 4 localities between the Campeche Bank (within the Gulf of Mexico) and the Mexican Caribbean Sea to describe and compare the differences and similarities between localities and regions in the communities of parasitic helminths. Thus, we calculated the Hill numbers associated with species richness (q = 0) and the dominance estimator (q = 2) using rarefaction and extrapolation curves to provide asymptotic estimators of diversity. A 2-way PERMANOVA was used to determine whether there was a significant difference in parasite assemblage structure between localities or regions. A total of 11 helminth taxa (species level) were recorded in 104 individuals of H. flavolineatum, consisting of 8 digenean trematodes species, 2 acanthocephalan species, and 1 nematode species. Our findings include new reports of 7 parasite taxa and new geographical records for some parasites in H. flavolineatum. The highest dissimilarities in parasite composition were observed between the most distant locations (Banco Chinchorro vs. Cayo Arcas) that were each located in different regions. Species richness was similar between regions, although the most dominant helminths were Postmonorchis orthopristis and Dollfustrema sp. in the Mexican Caribbean and Campeche Bank regions, respectively. Future studies should explore how patterns in parasite community structure are affected by currents running south to north by the Yucatan Current through the Yucatan Channel and easterly to Campeche Bank.

Trophic diversification and parasitic invasion as ecological niche modulators for gut microbiota of whitefish.

The impact of parasites on gut microbiota of the host is well documented, but the role of the relationship between the parasite and the host in the formation of the microbiota is poorly understood. This study has focused on the influence that trophic behavior and resulting parasitism has on the structure of the microbiome. Using 16S amplicon sequencing and newly developed methodological approaches, we characterize the gut microbiota of the sympatric pair of whitefish Coregonus lavaretus complex and the associated microbiota of cestodes parasitizing their intestine. The essence of the proposed approaches is, firstly, to use the method of successive washes of the microbiota from the cestode's surfaces to analyze the degree of bacterial association to the tegument of the parasite. Secondly, to use a method combining the sampling of intestinal content and mucosa with the washout procedure from the mucosa to understand the real structure of the fish gut microbiota. Our results demonstrate that additional microbial community in the intestine are formed by the parasitic helminths that caused the restructuring of the microbiota in infected fish compared to those uninfected. Using the desorption method in Ringer's solution, we have demonstrated that Proteocephalus sp. cestodes possess their own microbial community which is put together from "surface" bacteria, and bacteria which are weakly and strongly associated with the tegument, bacteria obtained after treatment of the tegument with detergent, and bacteria obtained after removal of the tegument from the cestodes.

Hidden in plain sight: How helminths manage to thrive in host blood

Parasitic helminths have evolved a plethora of elegant stratagems to regulate and evade the host immune system, contributing to their considerable persistence and longevity in their vertebrate hosts. Various mechanisms to achieve this state have been described, ranging from interfering with or actively modulating host immune responses to hiding from immune recognition. Because they damage surrounding vessels and disturb blood flow, blood-borne and blood-feeding parasites in particular must deal with much more than immune effector cells. Management of the host complement system and coagulation cascade, as well as the development of processes of hiding and masking, represent hallmarks of life in blood. Here we review recent findings on putative evasion strategies employed by blood-borne parasitic helminths, focusing on the interaction with and utilisation of host serum components by nematodes and trematodes.

In vitro Anthelmintic Activity of Vitis vinifera Leaf Extract on Dicrocoelium dendriticum

Background: Helminth parasites of ruminants are a major factor limiting animal production in many parts of the world. Dicrocoelium dendriticum, causes liver fluke disease in ruminants and is of zoonotic and economic importance. D. dendriticum lives in the adult stage, in the bile ducts and gallbladders of cattle, sheep, goats and pigs. Dicrocoeliasis causes severe pathological changes in the liver and bile system such as abscesses, granulomas and fibrosis. The objective of this study was to identify the anthelmintic activity of Vitis vinifera leaf extract against D. dendriticum and comparison with some drugs used against internal parasites. Methods: A study was performed to evaluate the anthelmintic activity of the methanolic extract of V. vinifera leaf against D. dendriticum using an adult worm motility test. Six graduated concentrations of extract (25, 50, 75, 100, a125 and 150 mg/ml), were tested at different periods and changes over time in the viability of worms were registered for 2, 4 and 6 hr. Normal RPMI-1640 medium and Albendazole were used as negative and positive control, respectively. Result: A significant elevation in mean inhibition of adult worm motility beginning 2 h post-exposure with 150 mg/ml of V. vinifera leaf extract and Albendazole. After 4 h of the exposure time, Albendazole and concentrations of 125 and 150 mg/ml of the extract resulted in significantly higher inhibited motility compared to the remaining concentrations below 125 mg/ml. The lower concentration (25 mg/ml) was significantly more lethal than the negative control (RPMI-1640 medium) at 6 h of exposure. Within 6 h after exposure, concentrations of 100, 125 and 150 mg/ml of V. vinifera leaf extract were more effective against adult worms than the remaining concentrations below 100 mg/ml. As the concentration and duration of exposure increased, the mortality of adult worms and also increased death for all parasites (P less than 0.05). Each concentration damages the tegument and muscles of D. dendriticum. The increase in concentration is proportional to the increase in damage to the integument. The results of this investigation demonstrated the anthelmintic action of V. vinifera leaf extract.

New record of the larval trematod (Strigea: Tetracotyle) (Trematoda: Strigeidae) from the muscles of Ardeola ralloides in Basrah Province

A total of 23 specimens of Ardeola ralloides were collected from Al-mashab north of Basrah- and examined for helminth parasites. The loose fascia over the skin muscles of neck, esophagus, trachea, thorax and abdomen of Ardeola ralloides were found to be infected with Strigea: Tetracotyle, which is reported here for the first time in Iraq.