ABSTRACT
The present work investigated the effect of camel's fetal fluids on a variety of bacterial and fungal pathogens. Ten samples of camel's amniotic and allantoic fluids were collected aseptically during parturition and their antimicrobial activities were evaluated by disc diffusion method and minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) assay. The majority of tested pathogens were inhibited by both fluids up to 25% concentration. The fluids showed zones of inhibition ranging from 8 to 30 mm. The most pronounced inhibition was detected for Staphylococcus aureus, Listeria monocytogenes, Klebsiella pneumonia, and Aspergillus niger but the weak inhibition was obtained for Enterococcus faecalis, Bacillus subtilis, and Candida albicans. Also, the MIC values of amniotic fluids (0.25-2 µg/ml) against Gram-positive bacteria and yeast were lower than the values of allantoic fluids (2-8 µg/ml). But in Gram-negative bacteria and molds, the MIC values of allantoic fluids (0.5-2 µg/ml) were the lowermost. Mucor circinelloides was the only pathogen that resisted both fluids. Analysis of fluid samples revealed the presence of several factors that are known to act as antimicrobial. All tested camel's fetal fluids harbored immunoglobulins, complements, and transferrin. Lysozyme was present in only one of 10 examined samples. We firstly report the prevalence of a profound in-vitro antimicrobial activity of camel's fetal fluids. This activity encourages their use as therapeutic alternative agents to overcome multidrug resistance problems.
Subject(s)
Amniotic Fluid/chemistry , Anti-Bacterial Agents/pharmacology , Antifungal Agents/pharmacology , Fungi/drug effects , Gram-Negative Bacteria/drug effects , Gram-Positive Bacteria/drug effects , Animals , Anti-Bacterial Agents/chemistry , Antifungal Agents/chemistry , Camelus , Egypt , Female , Fungi/pathogenicity , Gram-Negative Bacteria/pathogenicity , Gram-Positive Bacteria/pathogenicity , Microbial Sensitivity TestsABSTRACT
Persistence of the residue of organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) became a great danger to our environment long ago. In this study, the persistence of OCPs at Manzala Lake in Egypt was determined. Four different sites were investigated: the El-Gamel, El-Kowar, El-Rasoah, and Janb El-Timsah regions. Among these, the El-Kowar region had the highest concentration of total OCPs in the sediment samples when compared to other regions during both 2012 and 2013. In fact, generally, the residues of OCPs in the sediment samples were significantly higher in all tested sites in comparison with other compartments. Conversely, OCP residues were undetectable in water samples at both the El-Gamel region and the El-Rasoah site in the studied seasons. The data proved that the sediment layer plays a sourcing role in OCP persistence in the aquatic ecosystem. Data analysis also indicated that there was an external source for OCP contamination in the Manzala Lake ecosystem that most likely comes from Nile Basin countries and which extends the expected half-life of these compounds. It could be exemplified by DDT, the half-life of which increased from 30 to approximately 47 years.
