African Journal of Parasitology Research

African Journal of Parasitology Research ISSN 2343-6549 Vol. 5 (5), pp. 314-322, May, 2018. © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

A study of the isolation, purification and characterization of a thermostable alkalophilic xylanase from a fungal source

*Patel Narah¹, Deepa Jyoti² and Verma Patil²

¹National Institute of Virology, Pune, India.

²Amity Institute of Virology and Immunology, India.

*Corresponding author. E-mail: [email protected].

Accepted 11 March, 2016

Abstract 

The objectives of the present study were Isolation, identification and characterization of xylanase producing fungi, optimization of medium composition and cultural conditions for xylanase enzyme production, production using cheaper sources and extraction and partial purification of extra cellular xylanase enzyme from a potential strain. Xylan has a complex structure consisting of -1, 4-linked xylose residues in the backbone to which short side chains of o- acetyl, -L-arabinofuranosyl, D - - glucuronic and phenolic acid residues are attached. A variety of microorganisms are reported to produce endo xylanases, that can degrade -1,4-xylan in a random fashion, yielding a series of linear and branched oligosaccharide fragments. Totally 69 strains were isolated from Pitchavaram mangroves. In secondary screening, based on the diameter of the clear zone formation in oat spelt xylan agar plates, Penicillium oxalicum was selected and optimized for xylanase enzyme production in solid state fermentation using cheaper sources like wheat bran, rice bran, rice straw, sesame oil cake and wood husk. Maximum enzyme activity was observed in wheat bran. (3.89 U/ml) Optimum pH and temperature for xylanase activity were found to be 8 and 45°C at 3% salt concentration. In purification step, 80% ammonium sulphate saturation was found to be suitable giving maximum xylanase activity. The use of wheat bran as a major carbon source is particularly valuable because oat spelt xylan or birch wood xylan are more expensive, Thus the present study proved that the fungal strain P. oxalicum used is highly potential and useful for industrial production.

Key words: Xylanases, solid state fermentation, fungi, optimization, purification.

Key words: UTI, uro-pathogens, antibiotic sensitivity.

African Journal of Parasitology Research ISSN 2343-6549 Vol. 5 (4), pp. 287-295, April, 2018. © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

Aetiology of intestinal parasitosis in children suffering from malnutrition in Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire

Angora KE^1,2, Kiki-Barro PCM¹, Kassi KF^1,4, Konaté A¹, Vanga-Bosson AH^1,2,  Bedia-Tanoh AV¹, Miezan S¹, Djohan V¹, Menan HE^1,4,  Yavo W^1,3

¹Faculty of Pharmacy, Parasitology and Mycology Department, University of Felix Houphouët Boigny, 01 BP V 34, Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire.

²Parasitology and Mycology Department, Institut Pasteur of Côte d’Ivoire.

³Center for Research and Fight against Malaria, National Institute of Public Health, BPV 47, Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire.

⁴Center for the Diagnosis and Research on AIDS and opportunistic diseases, Abidjan BP V 3 Côte d’Ivoire.

Corresponding author. E-mail: [email protected]; Tel: +22507393801

Accepted 05 September, 2017

Abstract

Intestinal parasitosis associated to malnutrition can lead to serious consequences. The aim of this study is to explain the relationship between intestinal parasitic portage and type of malnutrition in Abidjan. It took into account children in the three Teaching Hospitals of Abidjan and in the general hospital of Abobo. Focus was on children over six months old, who were suffering from severe malnutrition (Z- score ≤ -3) or moderate one (Z-score between -3 and -2). Swabs of stool were taken for analysis in parasitology laboratory of the Diagnosis and Research Center on AIDS in Abidjan. Stool samples were examined through microscope and concentration techniques. Helminths were seen in 4.8% of analysis and protozoa in 8.0%. Helminth species were as follow: Trichuris trichiura (17.6%), Ascaris lumbricoides (8.8%) and hookworms (8.8%). Protozoa were identified in the following form: Giardia intestinalis (23.5%), Entamoeba coli (16.5%), Endolimax nana (11.8%) and Pseudolimax bustchili (2.9%). There was no correlation between parasitic portage and the severe or the moderate feature of malnutrition (p = 0.78). This study helped shed light on most well-known parasites in children suffering from malnutrition in Abidjan hospitals.

Key words: Intestinal parasitosis, malnutrition, children, Abidjan.

African Journal of Parasitology Research ISSN 2343-6549 Vol. 5 (2), pp. 278-281, February, 2018. © International ScholarsJournals

Full Length Research Paper

Impact of arbuscular mycorrhizal hyphal length on simulation of P influx with the mechanistic model

*Khanduri Biria¹, Nitin Khan¹ and Sunil Biju²

¹Department of Food Science, Faculty of Agriculture, Yogi Vemana University, Kadapa, Andhra Pradesh, India.

²Department of Agronomy, Faculty of Agricultural Sciences, Bihar Agricultural University, Bihar, India.

*Corresponding author. E-mail: [email protected]

Accepted 22 July, 2015

Abstract

The objective of the present investigation was to quantify the total hyphal length of maize and groundnut and its influence on simulation of P influx. The field experiments were carried out with three P levels i.e., P - 0 (no P), P - 50 (50 mg P kg ^-1 soil) and P - 400 (400 mg P kg^-1 soil) . Test crops were maize and groundnut. Four harvests were made to cover whole growing season and at each harvest hyphal length was measured. Application of P fertilizer reduced hyphal length by 30 _¯ 50% in maize and 25 _¯ 50% in groundnut. At P-0, hyphal length of maize crop was higher (5.4 mg^-1) than groundnut (3.8 mg^-1). To assess the influence of hyphal length on calculated P influx, mechanistic model was used. The model was employed first to calculate the P influx with root hairs of both the crops and then substituting root hairs by arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) hyphae. When root hairs were substituted by AM hyphae the calculated influx increased by a factor of 1.5 to 2 for plots receiving no P. Concentration profile around the root cylinder at P - 0 showed that hyphae was able to decrease the soil solution concentration more than the root hairs.

Key words: Maize, Groundnut, Arbuscular mycorrhiza, Hyphae, P influx.

African Journal of Parasitology Research  ISSN 2343-6549 Vol. 5 (1), pp. 271-277, January, 2018. © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

Prevalence of Sulfadoxine–pyrimethamine resistance-associated mutations in dhfr and dhps gene of Plasmodium falciparum isolates collected   in Pala west region of Chad
   
ISSA Mahamat Souleymane¹*, Offianan Andre TOURE², DJIMADOUM Mbanga³, KERAH Hinzoumbé Clément¹, AKO Aristide Berenger², COULIBALY Baba2, MBAITOLOUM  Modobé Denis1,  DJOUMBE Ephraim¹, TCHONFIENE Passiri⁴, DJIMRASSENGAR Honoré⁵,  V. YAMEOGO Jean Marie⁵,  BOUZID Samir⁶, RINGWALD Pascal⁷, DOSSO Mireille⁸, DJAMAN Allico Joséph<sup>9

1</sup>Chad National Malaria Control Programme (NMCP); ²Malariology Unit/ Parasitology and Mycology Department, Institut Pasteur of Côte d'Ivoire; ³University of N'Djaména, Faculty of Medicine, NCBT; ⁴Emergency service of Pala Hospital; ⁵WHO / Chad; ⁶PALAT / UNDP; ⁷GMP / WHO, Geneva, Switzerland; ⁸University of Félix Houphouët Boigny, Abidjan - Institute Pastor of Côte d’Ivoire; ⁹University of Félix Houphouët Boigny, Abidjan, Department of Biochemistry- Institut Pasteur of Côte d’Ivoire.

Corresponding Author's E-mail: [email protected]; Tel: (+225) 87420247/57904950

Accepted 20 December, 2017     

Abstract

Sulfadoxine-Pyrimethamine (SP) is the recommended drug for Intermittent Preventive Therapy (IPT) in pregnant women in Chad since 2005. There are few published reports of mutations in dihydropteroate synthetase (dhps) and dihydrofolate reductase (dhfr) genes in P.falciparum populations in Chad.  This study was assessed to determine prevalence of dhfr and dhps polymorphisms in P. falciparum isolates collected in Pala west region of Chad. P. falciparum isolates were collected from children under five years with a confirmed diagnosis of malaria at Pala hospital in the western region of Chad. The parasite DNA was extracted from the blood sampled on Whatman® filter paper by the Qiagen DNA Mini Kit method (Qiagen, Valencia.CA) according to the manufacturer's instructions. dhfr and dhps gene were amplified using nested PCR and subsequently sequenced. A total of 30 isolates were sequenced and analyzed. The prevalence of the Asn-51-Ile, Cys-59-Arg and Ser-108-Asn mutations of the dhfr gene were 23.3 %, 30% and 33.3%, respectively. The mutations Ala-16-Val, Ile-16-Leu and Ser-108-Thr were not detected. Ser-436-Ala, Ala-437-Gly mutations of the dhps gene were found in 23.3% and 16.7%. Lys-540-Glu, Ala-581-Gly, Ala-613-Ser mutations and Phe-436 codon were not observed. The wild type dhfr and dhps isolates represented 53.3% and 66.7% of the analyzed sequences. The triple mutant dhfr and double mutant dhps were respectively 3.33% and 6.7%.This study provide baseline prevalence dhfr and dhps polymorphisms in Chad. Deployment of SP for IPTp should be encouraged in Chad, and the corresponding resistance markers be regularly monitored.

Key words: Malaria, Sulfadoxine-Pyriméthamine, Pala/Chad.

Sulfadoxine-Pyrimethamine (SP) is the recommended drug for Intermittent Preventive Therapy (IPT) in pregnant women in Chad since 2005. There are few published reports of mutations in dihydropteroatesynthetase (dhps) and dihydrofolatereductase (dhfr) genes in P.falciparum populations in Chad.  This study was assessed to determine prevalence of dhfr and dhps polymorphisms in P. falciparum isolates collected in Pala west region of Chad. P. falciparum isolates were collected from children under five years with a confirmed diagnosis of malaria at Pala hospital in the western region of Chad. The parasite DNA was extracted from the blood sampled on Whatman® filter paper by the Qiagen DNA Mini Kit method (Qiagen, Valencia.CA) according to the manufacturer's instructions. dhfr and dhps gene were amplified using nested PCR and subsequently sequenced. A total of 30 isolates were sequenced and analyzed. The prevalence of the Asn-51-Ile, Cys-59-Arg and Ser-108-Asn mutations of the dhfr gene were 23.3 %, 30% and 33.3%, respectively. The mutations Ala-16-Val, Ile-16-Leu and Ser-108-Thr were not detected. Ser-436-Ala, Ala-437-Gly mutations of the dhps gene were found in 23.3% and 16.7%. Lys-540-Glu, Ala-581-Gly, Ala-613-Ser mutations and Phe-436 codon were not observed. The wild type dhfr and dhps isolates represented 53.3% and 66.7% of the analyzed sequences. The triple mutant dhfr and double mutant dhps were respectively 3.33% and 6.7%.This study provide baseline prevalence dhfr and dhps polymorphisms in Chad. Deployment of SP for IPTp should be encouraged in Chad, and the corresponding resistance markers be regularly monitored.