African Journal of Parasitology Research

African Journal of Parasitology Research ISSN 2756-3391 Vol. 7 (11), pp. 001-003, November, 2020. © International Scholars Journals

Short Communication

Antimicrobial activities of ethanol extract of black grape

Abtahi H.¹, Ghazavi A.²* and Karimi M.¹

¹Research Center of Molecular and Medicine Arak University of Medical Sciences, Arak, Iran.

²Tuberculosis and Pediatric Infectious Research Center (TPIRC), Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, Arak University of Medical Sciences, Arak, Iran.

Accepted 09 September, 2020

Abstract

There is considerable interest in alternative/adjuvant approaches for the eradication of infections using biologically active compounds, especially antioxidants from plants. Phenolic compounds in grape products play important roles for antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antimicrobial effects. Grapes are rich sources of potentially bioactive polyphenols. This study was conducted to measure the antibacterial activity of ethanol extract of total grape (Vitis vinifera L., Vitaceae) against several pathogenic bacteria. Grape was extracted by percolation method. Aliquots of the extracts at variable concentrations were then incubated with different bacterial strains, and the antimicrobial activities of the ethanolic extracts from total grapes were determined by the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC). Total grapes extract inhibited significantly, the growth of the tested bacterial strains. Among the bacterial strains tested, Staphylococcus aureus was the most susceptibleility. Results from these findings suggest that total grapes extract may be used as natural antibacterial for treatment of some diseases, especially local skin diseases.

Key words: Antimicrobial activity, grape, minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC).

African Journal of Parasitology Research ISSN 2756-3391 Vol. 7 (10), pp. 001-009, October, 2020. © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

A novel one-component system, XvgA involved in regulation of bacterial growth and virulence of Xanthomonas campestris pv. campestris

Daqing Mao^{1, 2}*^, Jun Tao^{3, 4}, Chunxia Li^{3, 5}, Chao Luo¹, Linlin Zheng¹ and Chaozu He^{3, 6}

¹School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China.

²School of Life Science and Biopharmaceutics, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang, 110016, China.

³State Key Laboratory of Plant Genomics, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China.

⁴CAS Key Laboratory of Pathogenic Microbiology and Immunology, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China.

⁵Graduate School of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100039, China.

⁶Hainan Key Laboratory for Sustainable Utilization of Tropical Bioresource, Hainan University, Haikou, Hainan 570228, China.

Accepted 24 August, 2020

Abstract

One-component systems were the simplest and the most effective signaling mechanism in bacteria. Per-ARNT-Sim (PAS) domains were important modules that play crucial roles in light or oxygen or redox signaling in bacteria, and most characterized GGDEF proteins involved in cyclic di-GMP (c-di-GMP) synthesis played crucial roles in c-di-GMP signaling in bacteria. In Xanthomonas campestris pv. Campestris (Xcc), xvgA encoded a protein containing both a PAS and a GGDEF domains. Deletion of xvgA altered bacterial morphology and significantly reduced not only Xcc virulence but also bacterial growth, the growth assays under different light conditions indicated that XvgA involved in light (red or far-red) signaling in Xcc. XvgA had been shown to possess diguanylate cyclase (DGC) activity that converted GTP to c-di-GMP in vitro. Moreover, the PAS domain was necessary for its DGC activity, and glutamic acid 98 (E98) site in the PAS domain was an active site, which was verified with bioinformatics and biochemical assays in vitro. These findings indicated that XvgA was an important one-component system involved in c-di-GMP and light signaling, which contributed to regulate Xcc growth, motility and virulence.

Key words: Xcc, PAS domain, c-di-GMP, one-component system.

African Journal of Parasitology Research ISSN 2756-3391 Vol. 7 (10), pp. 001-004, October, 2020. © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

In vitro antimicrobial effect of silver nanoparticles on Lactococcus garvieae and Streptococcus iniae

Mehdi Raissy¹* and Mahsa Ansari²

¹Department of Food Hygiene and Aquatic Animal Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Islamic Azad University-Shahrekord Branch, Iran.

²Young Researchers Club, Islamic Azad University, Shahrekord Branch, Iran.

Accepted 09 September, 2020

Abstract

Antimicrobial effect of silver nanoparticles on two fish pathogens, Lactococcus garvieae and Streptococcus iniae was investigated by microdilution method. A total of 16 isolates of L. garvieae and S. iniae that were obtained from diseased rainbow trout during 2009 to 2011 were examined. Antimicrobial effects of the compound were evaluated according to the broth microdilution method by determination of minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC). According to the results MIC ranged from 1.12 to 5 µgml^-1 for L. garvieae and 1.12 to 2.5 µgml^-1 for S. iniae isolates. The mean MIC value was 2.59 and 2.1 for L. garvieae and S. iniae, respectively. The MBC was also calculated for the examined isolates as MBC ranged from 2.5 to 10 µgml^-1 with the mean of 5.27 and 3.57 for L. garvieae and S. iniae, respectively. The results showed that S. iniae strains were more sensitive to silver nanoparticles than L. garvieae strains. This study demonstrated the in vitro antimicrobial effects of silver nanoparticles on the examined bacteria although the efficacy of silver nanoparticles in fish ponds in different conditions needs more investigations.

Key words: Silver nanoparticles, Lactococcus garvieae, Streptococcus iniae.

African Journal of Parasitology Research ISSN 2756-3391 Vol. 7 (10), pp. 001-009, October, 2020. © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

Effect of DLC-1 gene on tumour formation in nude mice inoculated with OVCAR-3

Liu HuiNa^{1, 2}, Shi HuiRong¹*, Zhang HaiLing¹, Wu KaiYuan¹, Zhang RuiTao¹ and Huang HaoLiang¹

¹Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, 450052, PR China.

²Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The Zhengzhou Central Hospital, 450007, PR China.

Accepted 14 August, 2020

Abstract

The aim of the present study was to examine effect of DLC-1 gene transfect OVCAR-3 cells in vivo on tumour growth in nude mice. Results showed that tumor development rate in OVCAR-3/DLC-1 group, OVCAR-3/pEGFP-C3 group and OVCAR-3 group were 87, 87 and 100%, respectively. After 40 days, tumour cells were not detected in peripheral blood of mice in every group. Low expression of P-FAK, P-P130 cas and P-JNK proteins was detected in group OVCAR-3/DLC-1, while high expression was found in group OVCAR-3/pEGFP-C3 and OVCAR-3. the brightness of the bands of P130cas mRNA, FAK mRNA and JNK mRNA in group OVCAR-3/DLC-1 became weaker, while the brightness of the bands become stronger in group OVCAR-3/pEGFP-C3 and group OVCAR-3. DLC-1, as a anti-tumor related target gene, possesses a promising future.

Key words: DLC-1, ovarian cancer, nude mice, transfection.

African Journal of Parasitology Research ISSN 2756-3391 Vol. 7 (9), pp. 001-014, September, 2020. © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

Mycobiota associated with Platypus cylindrus (Coleoptera: Curculionidae, Platypodidae) in cork oak stands of North West Algeria, Africa

Latifa Belhoucine¹, Rachid T. Bouhraoua¹, Martin Meijer², Jos Houbraken², M. Jamal Harrak³, Robert A. Samson², Armando Equihua-Martinez⁴* and Juli Pujade-Villar⁵

¹Department of Forestry, Faculty of Sciences, University of Tlemcen, Tlemcen, Algeria.

²CBS-KNAW Fungal Biodiversity Centre, Uppsalalaan 8, 3584 CT Utrecht, The Netherlands.

³University of Amsterdam, Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.

⁴Instituto de Fitosanidad, Colegio de Postgraduados, 56230 Montecillo, Texcoco, Estado de México (México).

⁵Departmet Biologia Animal, Facultat Biologia, Universitat de Barcelona, Avda Diagonal, 645. 08028-Barcelona, Spain.

Accepted 02 September, 2020

Abstract

Platypus cylindrus (Coleoptera: Curculionidae, Platypodidae) is an important insect pest of the cork oak. These beetles maintain symbiotic relationships with many fungi that serve especially as food for the adults and larvae but also intervene in the mechanisms of establishment of the insect by further weakening the host-tree. 270 samples were taken by 3 sources: Galleries (30), mycangia and intestinal contents of male and female insects and intestinal contents of mature larvae (60 each). The results show the presence of 42 species of ambrosia fungi among which 17 are new to this association. The mycetophagy of these beetles is very rich and consisted essentially of Ophiostomatales. Other groups of fungi playing different roles were also isolated: entomopathogenic, antagonistic, saprophytic but especially pathogenic for the tree host. This group consists of many species and their dissemination by the insect and the inoculation in trees may have fatal consequences by accelerating the cycle of declining affected trees. In the present paper, we discuss the fungal species associated to the beetle, identified on the basis of phenotypic characters and ribosomal DNA sequences analysis, and their relationship with P. cylindrus.

Key words: Forest of M’sila (Oran- Algeria), Quercus suber, Platypus cylindrus, Ambrosia fungi.

African Journal of Parasitology Research ISSN 2756-3391 Vol. 7 (9), pp. 001-011, September, 2020. © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

Detection of Leishmania in human blood and tissue exudate ingested by Tunga penetrans

Elizabeth Sentongo^1*, Samuel Kalungi² and Jacinto Amandua³

¹Department of Microbiology, School of Biomedical Sciences, College of Health Sciences, Makerere University, P. O. Box 7072, Kampala, Uganda.

²Department of Pathology, Mulago National Referral Hospital P. O. Box 7051 Kampala, Uganda.

³Department of Clinical Services, Ministry of Health P. O. Box 7272, Kampala, Uganda.

Accepted 16 September, 2020

Abstract

Communities in Uganda are experiencing a multiparasitism, blood microscopy often reveals Leishmania and microfilaria in patients with anaemia, haemorrhage and splenomegaly. Many are likely asymptomatic and probably exposed to insect vectors. We examined the blood and tissue exudate ingested by Tunga penetrans, from relatively healthy eastern Ugandans who had been afflicted by sand fleas in 2010. Comparison was thereafter made with Giemsa-stained blood and bone marrow aspirate smears from patients admitted to Mulago National Referral Hospital. In histology preparations of formalin-preserved paraffin-embedded enucleate stained with haematoxylin and eosin, were cross sections with columnar lining containing a pink substance. Within the substance were numerous lobular and circular organelles, representing nuclei of polymorphonuclear and mononuclear white blood cells. Clustered about the nuclei were translucent spheres containing two spots; one large and dark, the other small and red. No microfilaria were seen. In patients’ blood smears, where microfilaria were also demonstrable, the spheres clustered inside monocytes and in bone marrow aspirate smears they were Leishman-Donovan bodies. The findings, besides indicating an inflammatory reaction of the host, implied a cutaneous and/or systemic leishmanial infection. Persons with Leishmania in their body fluids can infect female sand flies or develop visceral, cutaneous or mucocutaneous disease.

Key words: Tungiasis, leishmaniasis, haematophagy, asymptomatic carriage.