Role of liver and cardiac enzymes as markers of parasite load and recovery after treatment in experimental murine toxocariasis

Background: Toxocara is mainly a parasite of animals. The disease is caused mainly due to accidental ingestion of Toxocara canis embryonated eggs and to a lesser extent T.cati eggs. Till now, there is no marker of severity of infection or treatment in toxocariasis

Aim of the study: The current work aimed at studying the role of liver enzyme aspartate transaminase [AST] and cardiac enzyme creatine kinase-MB isoenzyme [CK-MB] as markers of severity infection and treatment of toxocariasis in correspondence to serum immunoglobulin with study of histological cardiac effects of toxocariasis

Materials and Methods: Laboratory mice were divided into groups infected with different doses of Toxocara eggs. Sera were collected from each group before and after treatment for measurement of AST and CK-MB, as well as ELISA for anti-Toxocara immunoglobulin IgG. T test, ANOVA test and Pearson correlation tests were used to assess the results

Results: CK-MB was elevated significantly with infection and reduced significantly after treatment. The serum level of CK-MB also correlated significantly and positively with parasite load

Conclusion: CK-MB can be used together with anti-Toxocara IgG in diagnosis and CK-MB can be a good markers of treatment and parasite load in toxocariasis

Polymerase chain reaction techniques: applications in parasitic diseases

dNTPs: Nucleotides; ESTs: Expressed sequence tags; HAT-RAPD-PCR: High annealing temperature random amplified polymorphic DNA PCR; HSP: Heat shock protein; ITS: Internal transcribed spacer; mRNA: Messenger RNA; MSP: Merozoite suiface proteins; MT-PCR: Multiplex tandam PCR; PCR: Polymerase chain reaction; qPCR: Quantitative basic PCR; qRtime-PCR: Quantitative real-time PCR; qRT-PCR: Quantitative reverse transcriptase PCR; QT-NASBA: Quantitative nucleic acid sequence-based amplification; RAPD: Random amplified polymorphic DNA; RFLP: Restriction fragment length polymorphism; RNA: Ribonucleic acid; Rtime-PCR: Real time PCR; RT-PCR: Reverse transcriptase PCR; SNP: Single nucleotide polymorphism;TLRs: Toll-like receptors

Histopathological, histochemical and immunohistochemical studies of experimental heterophyiasis in dogs and the protecting role of praziquantel

Parasitic diseases are associated with oxidative stress leading to DNA damage and apoptosis. Study of apoptosis pathway in heterophyiasis can help in treatment and prevention of pathological changes in tissues. Evaluation of the role of caspase 3 pathway in apoptosis, DNA changes and the role of praziquantel in heterophyiasis. Study design included experimental infection of dogs with encysted metacercariae of H. heterophyes followed by treatment with praziquantel. Tissue samples from the small intestine and the heart, before and after treatment, were stained for histopatholgical, histochemical and immunohistochemical studies. DNA damage was detected in infected tissues by histochemical stains, while apoptotic changes were detected in histopathological and immunohistochemical stained tissues. These changes were reversible with treatment by praziquantel. DNA and tissue damage due to heterophyiasis can be corrected by praziquantel treatment

Effects of spinosad, zingiber officinale and allium sativum on chrysomyia albiceps larvae: biological, histological and ultrastructural studies

Chrysomyia albiceps fly is associated with animal and human myiasis and is a potential mechanical transmitter of pathogens. It is prevalent in tropical and subtropical countries, including Egypt. To examine the effects of natural products as spinosad and water extracts of ginger roots of Zingiber officinale and garlic fruits of Allium sativum on Chrysomyia albiceps larvae aiming to establish safe control methods. C. albiceps flies were reared in the laboratory at 28 +/- 2°C. Adults were offered sugar solution and pieces of minced meat in Petri dishes for feeding and as media for oviposition. Larvae were fed minced meat to which was added one of three compounds: spinosad, water extract of either Z. officinale or A. sativum. Larvae and pupae were monitored for development to the adult stage. Biological, histological and scanning electron microscopic studies were conducted to investigate the effects of these compounds as control measures against C. albiceps larvae. All tested materials affected biological aspects of larvae. In histological sections, spinosad proved more potent causing decrease in cuticle thickness and integument degenerative changes. Using scanning electron microscopy, Z. officinale and A. sativum extracts appeared to cause changes in the cuticle and moderate degenerative changes in the integument. Spinosad, Z. officinale and A. sativum affected survival of C. albiceps larvae and could be used effectively in control of larvae and prevention of myiasis

Towards a unified theory of alkaline scale formation from seawater

Alkaline scale formation inside the condenser tubes is one of the main operation problems encountered in seawater desalination plants. The scales are composed of CaCO3 and/or Mg[OH]2 and impair heat transfer and reduce flow velocities. Scale formation is inherent to the special composition of seawater, which contains HCO3, Ca[2+] and Mg[2+] ions. The two theories accounting for scale formation are reviewed in short. The one, Langelier's, suggests the primary precipitation of CaCO3 at intermediate temperatures followed, at higher temperatures, by the separation of Mg[OH]2. Dooly and Glater's theory, on the other hand, is based on the separation of Mg[OH]2 at all temperatures. Hitherto, no satisfactory explanation has been presented to explain the reasons behind the variation in scale composition. Like other chemical reactions, scaling can be studied either thermodynamically or kinetically. In the present paper both approaches are attempted. The free energy changes accompanying scale formation reactions at 25 and 100°C are computed and their implications discussed. It is concluded that thermodynamics alone is not adequate to explain scaling. The kinetic aspects of the reactions are then considered. The OH and CO3[2-] ions necessary for the precipitation of Mg[OH]2 and CaCO3 are considered to form as: HCO3[-] = OH[-] + CO2[i] and 2 HCO3[-] = CO3[2-] + H2O + CO2 [ii] with reaction [i] being rate determining. The two reactions are assumed to have different, temperature-dependent activation energies. Because it involves bond cleavage, reaction [i] is regarded to have, at low temperatures, a high activation energy. This decreases, however, appreciably as the temperature increases. On the other hand, reaction [ii] is an acid-base neutralization reaction. It is likely to have low- activation energy with smaller dependence on temperature. A schematic presentation of the variation of the activation energy of the two reactions as function of temperature will exhibit two straight lines of different slopes, crossing at an intermediate temperature. As a result of curve crossing, the energy-restricted reaction at low temperatures becomes kinetically favoured at higher temperature. This concept adequately explains the change in scale composition from one of CaCO3-rich to that of Mg[OH]2 -rich as the temperature is raised

Functional properties and biological evaluation of some used okra seed products in sugar cookies fortification.

The present study was carried out to investigate the chemical composition and the functional properties of some okra seed products, which affect the technological properties and the possibility of utilization of these products in fortification or substitution. The results of proximate composition, amino acid profiles, functional properties and biological evaluation indicated that okra seed products have significant potential as an important new protein source. The most limiting amino acids in the all investigated okra seed products were isoleucine and valine. Oil emulsified by okra seed products ranged from 37.8 to 40.1%. Biological studies of tested okra seed products indicated that net protein utilization [NPU], digestibility [D], biological value [BV] and protein efficiency ratios [PERs] of these products were lower than the control [casein]. Full-fat and defatted sieved okra seed flours were used for preparation of sugar cookies. The effect of fortification on the organoleptic characteristics and chemical composition of cookies was also studied. Protein, fat, fiber and ash contents were increased in fortified cookies samples with both investigated sieved okra seed flours at all replacement levels. While, total carbohydrates decreased by increasing the level of substitution

Chemical and biological evaluation of tomato processing wastes.

Chemical and biological evaluation of tomato seeds and total tomato processing wastes was investigated. The defatted tomato seeds and total tomato processing wastes meals found to contain about 37 and 27% protein, respectively. The most predominant element was phosphorus in both investigated meals, followed by potassium and magnesium. Linoleic acid was the major fatty acid in both tested meals oil, followed by oleic acid. Valine was the first limiting amino acid, while isoleucine was the second limiting amino acid in the defatted tomato seed meal. It was also found that threonine and isoleucine were the first and second limiting amino acids in the defatted total tomato processing wastes meal, respectively. Biological studies of both investigated meals indicated low values for net protein utilization, digestibility, biological value and protein efficiency ratio when compared with the control

Comparative study on composition and quality of mature and full-mature Okra seeds and their oils

Kernel and seeds per pod percentages of mature and full-mature okra seeds had higher percentages of protein, fat, fibre and ash; but lower content of total carbohydrate than the whole ground and sieved mature okra seeds. Mature and full-mature seed hulls showed higher values of fibre and carbohydrate than the all investigated samples. Sieved mature and full-mature okra seeds showed more phosphorus, iron, zinc and copper, but less calcium and manganese than both whole ground okra seeds Mature okra seed oil showed more unsaturated and less saturated fatty acids than full-mature okra seed oil. Unsaturated/saturated fatty acid ratio was found to be 1.67 and 1.54 in the mature and full-mature okra seed oils, respectively. Pigments, absorption spectra, colour index as well as refining and bleaching of both investigated oils showed some differences between them. Spectrophotometric analysis of oils showed that they contained a number of carotenoid pigments and chlorophyllic pigment

Comparative studies on safflower and sunflower meals

Safflower and sunflower kernels and meals were chemically evaluated for their moisture, protein, fat, crude fiber and ash contents. The amino acid composition and infra-red absorption spectra of both the investigated meals were also analyzed and studied. Chemical scores, essential amino acid index [EAAI] as well as protein efficiency ratio [PER] were calculated to estimate the protein quality of both meals. Sunflower meal showed higher values of proteins, total essential amino acid, essential amino acid index [EAAI] than safflower meal, while the latter meal was found to be more PERs. Lysine was the limiting amino acid in both tested meals