ABSTRACT
The subterranean termite Psammotermes hypostoma Desneux is considered as an important pest that could cause severe damage to buildings, furniture, silos of grain and crops or any material containing cellulose. This species of termites is widespread in Egypt and Africa. The lower termite's ability to digest cellulose depends on the association of symbiotic organisms gut that digest cellulose (flagellates and bacteria). In this study, 33 different bacterial isolates were obtained from the gut of the termite P. hypostoma which were collected using cellulose traps. Strains were grown on carboxymethylcellulose (CMC) as a sole source of carbon. Cellulolytic strains were isolated in two different cellulose medium (mineral salt medium containing carboxymethylcellulose as the sole carbon source and agar cellulose medium). Five isolates showed significant cellulolytic activity identified by a Congo red assay which gives clear zone. Based on biochemical tests and sequencing of 16s rRNA genes these isolates were identified as Paenibacillus lactis, Lysinibacillus macrolides, Stenotrophomonas maltophilia, Lysinibacillus fusiformis and Bacillus cereus, that deposited in GenBank with accession numbers MG991563, MG991564, MG991565, MG991566 and MG991567, respectively.
ABSTRACT
Blastocystis spp. is the most frequent infectious unicellular, luminal parasite in all species of animals and humans. It has been linked to diarrhoea and irritable bowel syndrome. Saccharomyces boulardii (Sb) is a widely used probiotic that previously showed efficacy against several intestinal pathogens. The aim of this study was to investigate the therapeutic role of Sb on Blastocystis spp. Methods: Five groups of Blastocystis subtype-3 infected rats were treated with either live Sb alone, metronidazole (MTZ) alone, Sb extract, both Sb and MTZ, or placebo-treated besides the noninfected control group. Assessment of treatment effectiveness was done by study of parasitological cure rate, histopathological effect and analysis of the colonic mucosal level of mRNAs expressions for the proinflammatory cytokines interleukin-6 (IL-6), IL-8, tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) and Inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) by real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (real-time RT-PCR). Results showed that live Sb significantly improved the histological characteristics and decreased the cytokines and iNOS in the colonic mucosa. Co-administration of live Sb together with MTZ gave a better effect than other treatments and had early efficacy and revealed a 100% reduction of the parasite stages from both the stool and intestinal wash fluid.
