In vitro anthelminthic activity of fringed spiderflower (Cleome rutidosperma) ethanolic leaf extract against Fasciola spp.

Fasciolosis is considered as one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality among ruminants in the Philippines. Though anthelmintic drugs are widely used to treat and control the condition, it is still worthwhile to search for alternative treatments especially when resistance to commonly used anthelmintic drugs has been reported. In this study, the ethanolic leaf extract of fringed spiderflower (Cleome rutidosperma) was evaluated for its in vitro anthelmintic activity against Fasciola spp. Specifically, the study compared the different concentrations of ethanolic leaf extract and the commonly used anthelmintic drug (albendazole) on the gross motility and histology of Fasciola spp. The study consisted of five treatments: treatment 1, 2, and 3 which contain 10%, 20%, and 40% leaf extract, respectively, treatment 4 with 10% albendazole as the positive control, and treatment 5 with nutrient broth as the negative control. The motility of the Fasciola spp in all treatments was visually analyzed based on the established criteria. In addition Fasciola spp. in different treatments were subjected to tissue processing and histological examination. Results showed that increasing concentrations of leaf extract resulted in a decreasing time for Fasciola spp. to have a motility score of zero. Specifically, 10%, 20%, and 40% leaf extract resulted in a cumulative time period of 55.00 ± 5.00 min, 26.67 ± 2.89 min, and 15.00 ± 0.00 min, respectively, for the Fasciola spp. to have a motility score of zero. On the other hand, albendazole resulted in a 240.00 min cumulative time before it can cause a motility score of zero. Histologic examination showed that the different concentrations of leaf extract affected the tegument and parenchyma of the Fasciola spp.

Evaluation of LAMP for detection and/or screening of Leptospira spp. infection among domestic animals in the Philippines.

OBJECTIVE: This study assessed the applicability of loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) for the detection of leptospirosis among domesticated animals and sewage rats. Specifically, it evaluated the ability of LAMP to amplify Leptospira spp. targeting the 16s rRNA gene in boiled urine samples. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 140 samples from different domestic animals were tested for the presence of the antigen. A nested-polymerase chain reaction (nPCR) protocol was used to compare and determine the sensitivity of LAMP in detecting Leptospira spp. The LAMP was also evaluated by comparing its amplification result using agarose gel electrophoresis and color change using dye. RESULTS: Positivity rate of Leptospira spp. antigen was 29.0% (40/140) for LAMP and 9.3% (13/140) for nPCR. Also, LAMP results for gel electrophoresis and dye color change varied in some samples that may be due to the interpretation of the result in dye color change. CONCLUSION: Overall, LAMP is a rapid, sensitive, and cost-effective diagnostic method compared with nPCR. Also, LAMP has a potential application as pen-side screening, surveillance, and clinical diagnostic kits of infectious diseases without requiring advance equipment and skilled personnel.