Aspergillus fumigatus is the most reported causative pathogen associated with the increasing global incidences of aspergilloses, with the health of immunocompromised individuals mostly at risk. Monitoring the pathogenicity of A. fumigatus strains to identify virulence factors and evaluating the efficacy of potent active agents against this fungus in animal models are indispensable in current research effort. Caenorhabditis elegans has been successfully utilized as an infection model for bacterial and dimorphic fungal pathogens because of the advantages of being time-efficient, and less costly. However, application of this model to the filamentous fungus A. fumigatus is less investigated. In this study, we developed and optimized a stable and reliable C. elegans model for A. fumigatus infection, and demonstrated the infection process with a fluorescent strain. Virulence results of several mutant strains in our nematode model demonstrated high consistency with the already reported pathogenicity pattern in other models. Furthermore, this C. elegans-A. fumigatus infection model was optimized for evaluating the efficacy of current antifungal drugs. Interestingly, the azole drugs in nematode model prevented conidial germination to a higher extent than amphotericin B. Overall, our established C. elegans infection model for A. fumigatus has potential applications in pathogenicity evaluation, antifungal agents screening, drug efficacy evaluation as well as host-pathogen interaction studies.

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Restrategizing becomes inevitable when in trying to proffer solution to a problem, damage in a different form is done. The unintended effects of drugs (side effects) could be leaving behind more damage than the therapeutic effect they are required to provide. This has led to the withdrawal of a number of drugs. However, there are still a number of options to explore in delivery, especially in the application of nanomedicine. Such advances in nanomedicine employ the use of phenylboronic acid-installed polymeric micelles, matrix metalloproteinase 2-sensitive poly(ethylene glycol)-drug conjugate, multifunctional DNA nanoflowers, single vehicular delivery of small interfering RNA (siRNA), nanoparticle-mediated codelivery of siRNA and prodrug, lipopeptide nanoparticles for siRNA delivery, ferrous iron-dependent drug delivery, polyprodrug amphiphiles, transepithelial transport of Fc-targeted nanoparticles, mutant KRAS target, monovalent molecular shuttle, near-infrared-actuated devices, transferrin receptor trafficking, remote loading of preencapsulated drugs, ATP-mediated liposomal drug delivery, nanoparticle-based combination chemotherapy delivery system, nucleic acid nanoparticle conjugates, ultrasound-triggered disruption of cross-linked hydrogels, refilling drug delivery depots through the blood, siRNA payloads to target KRAS-mutant cancer, delivery of antibody mimics into mammalian cells, biologically “smart” hydrogel, combination of liposomes containing bio-enhancers, and tetraether lipids. Minimized side effects, increased bioavailability, and reduced dosage are possible benefits of improved drug targeting.

Aspergillus flavus is one of the important human and plant pathogens causing not only invasive aspergillosis in immunocompromised patients but also crop contamination resulting from carcinogenic aflatoxins (AFs). Investigation of the targeting factors that are involved in pathogenicity is of unmet need to dismiss the hazard. Phosphoglucose isomerase (PGI) catalyzes the reversible conversion between glucose-6-phosphate and fructose-6-phosphate, thus acting as a key node for glycolysis, pentose phosphate pathway, and cell wall biosynthesis in fungi. In this study, we constructed an A. flavus pgi deletion mutant, which exhibited specific carbon requirement for survival, reduced conidiation, and slowed germination even under optimal experimental conditions. The Δpgi mutant lost the ability to form sclerotium and displayed hypersusceptibility to osmotic, oxidative, and temperature stresses. Furthermore, significant attenuated virulence of the Δpgi mutant was documented in the Caenorhabditis elegans infection model, Galleria mellonella larval model, and crop seeds. Our results indicate that PGI in A. flavus is a key enzyme in maintaining sugar homeostasis, stress response, and pathogenicity of A. flavus. Therefore, PGI is a potential target for controlling infection and AF contamination caused by A. flavus.

AbstractScience always strives to find an improved way of doing things and nanoscience is one such approach. Nanomaterials are suitable for pharmaceutical applications mostly because of their size which facilitates absorption, distribution, metabolism and excretion of the nanoparticles. Whether labile or insoluble nanoparticles, their cytotoxic effect on malignant cells has moved the use of nanomedicine into focus. Since nanomedicine can be described as the science and technology of diagnosing, treating and preventing diseases towards ultimately improving human health, a lot of nanotechnology options have received approval by various regulatory agencies. Nanodrugs also have been discovered to be more precise in targeting the desired site, hence maximizing the therapeutic effects, while minimizing side-effects on the rest of the body. This unique property and more has made nanomedicine popular in therapeutic medicine employing nanotechnology in genetic therapy, drug encapsulation, enzyme manipulation and control, tissue engineering, target drug delivery, pharmacogenomics, stem cell and cloning, and even virus-based hybrids. This review highlights nanoproducts that are in development and have gained approval through one clinical trial stage or the other.

African eggplants, Solanum melongena fruit (SMF) and Solanum aethiopicum fruit (SAF) are widely cultivated in Nigeria and across the Africa. This study is designed to evaluate and compare the proximate and phytochemical components of SMF and SAF. Proximate composition of both fruit samples shows that SMF has higher moisture content than SAF. Protein, fats and ash contents were non-significantly (p < 0.05) higher in SAF compared with SMF. The fibre content was 3.11 ± 0.03 and 2.98 ± 0.08 % for SMF and SAF, respectively. The carbohydrate content of SAF (4.14± 0.11%) was significantly (p < 0.05) higher than that of SMF (2.42 ± 0.12%). The results obtained for the phytochemical composition show that cardiac glycosides, anthocyanins and anthraquinone are low for both fruit samples. The phenolic content of SMF was 5.80 ± 0.4 g and that of SAF was 4.17 ± 0.03 g. In this study, we reported a flavonoid content of 2.80 ± 0.08 and 1.46 ± 0.01 g, as well as saponin content of 1.34 ± 0.31 and 0.81 ± 0.23 g for SMF and SAF, respectively. SAF has a tannin content of 0.82 ± 0.14 g, and 1.28 ± 0.05 g for SMF. Eighteen amino acids were identified (Essential and non-essential amino acids) with glutamine having the highest percentage (94.69%) and the lowest in percentage was Threonine (0.014%). In conclusion, the results of this study show that SMF and SAF have adequate nutritional value could be valuable raw material for health and pharmaceutical industries.

In the forms of either herbs or functional foods, plants and their products have attracted medicinal, culinary, and nutraceutical applications due to their abundance in bioactive phytochemicals. Human beings and other animals have employed those bioactive phytochemicals to improve health quality based on their broad potentials as antioxidant, anti-microbial, anti-carcinogenic, anti-inflammatory, neuroprotective, and anti-aging effects, amongst others. For the past decade and half, efforts to discover bioactive phytochemicals both in pure and crude forms have been intensified using the Caenorhabditis elegans aging model, in which various metabolic pathways in humans are highly conserved. In this review, we summarized the aging and longevity pathways that are common to C. elegans and humans and collated some of the bioactive phytochemicals with health benefits and lifespan extending effects that have been studied in C. elegans. This simple animal model is not only a perfect system for discovering bioactive compounds but is also a research shortcut for elucidating the amelioration mechanisms of aging risk factors and associated diseases.

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