Recently, new strains of Fasciola demonstrated drug resistance, which increased the need for new drugs or improvement of the present drugs. Nanotechnology is expected to open some new opportunities to fight and prevent diseases using an atomic scale tailoring of materials. The ability to uncover the structure and function of biosystems at the nanoscale, stimulates research leading to improvement in biology, biotechnology, medicine and healthcare. The size of nanomaterials is similar to that of most biological molecules and structures; therefore, nanomaterials can be useful for both in vivo and in vitro biomedical research and applications. Therefore, this work aimed to isolate fungal strains from Taif soil samples, which have the ability to synthesize silver nanoparticles. The fungus Trichoderma harzianum, when challenged with silver nitrate solution, accumulated silver nanoparticles (AgNBs) on the surface of its cell wall in 72 h. These nanoparticles, dislodged by ultrasonication, showed an absorption peak at 420 nm in a UV-visible spectrum, corresponding to the plasmon resonance of silver nanoparticles. The transmission electron micrographs of dislodged nanoparticles in aqueous solution showed the production of reasonably monodisperse silver nanoparticles (average particle size: 4.66 nm) by the fungus. The percentage of non hatching eggs treated with the Triclabendazole drug was 69.67%, while this percentage increased to 89.67% in combination with drug and AgNPs.
Fifty samples of skin ulcers were collected from the western region of Saudi Arabia Kingdom (Al Baha and Al Qasim) to study genotypic characterization of Cutaneous Leishmaniasis in this area. Thirty-six samples were recorded as Leishmania isolates. The same isolates were subsequently tested with fingerprinting with single arbitrary primers. The primers used derived from the core sequence of the phage M13, and the repeat sequences (GTG)5 and (GACA)4. The 36 isolates were all identified as Leishmania major (n = 25 isolates) or Leishmania tropica (n = 11 isolates). All produced polymorphic patterns, which were grouped depending on the species they belonged to, next to the relevant well-characterized strains of the same species. Within the L. major and L. tropica group the subgroupings formed were mainly related to the geographical origin of the strains. A nested polymerase chain reaction-based schizodeme method for identifying Leishmania kinetoplast minicircle classes was used as a diagnostic tool for L. major and L. tropica.
The use of Gravel Bed Hydroponic (GBH) constructed wetlands for wastewater treatment and reuse in semi-arid climates has been evaluated in Egypt with respect to the removal of parasite eggs from domestic wastewaters.
Influent and effluent from established 100m GBH reed beds receiving partially treated wastewater, were analysed to establish daily parasite loading rates and removal performance of the system under normal operating conditions (201/min; intermittent 12h on/off flow regime.) The system was then challenged with high numbers of parasite eggs (Ascaris sp., Hymenolepis sp. and Toxocara sp.) equivalent to an influent of 100-500 eggs/1 and a daily loading rate of 1.0-7.2 × 106, representing up to a 110-fold increase over typical mean daily loading rates. Wastewater samples were collected from the inlet, at varying distances along the 100m bed profile, and the outlet. Sampling was also carried out at varying time intervals during the flow regime to determine the spatial and temporal removal of eggs along the bed.
In 100m long planted beds, there was significant removal of all selected parasite eggs with the majority being removed within the first 25m. No eggs were detected in the final effluent. These studies demonstrate that GBH wetlands have a capacity for efficient removal of parasite eggs and thus provide a reliable, low cost technology for treating effluent compliant with health related objectives for the treatment of wastewater intended for agricultural reuse.
The prophylactic and curative effects of praziquantel and oxamniquine on a Saudi Arabian strain of Schistosoma mansoni in MF-1 mice were assessed. The drugs were administered orally. At 240 mg/kg praziquantel, there was a reduction of 89·1% in adult worm recovery and a marked reduction in tissue deposited eggs. The reduction in adult worm recovery after dosing with 50 mg/kg oxamniquine was 89·2%. At low doses (40 mg/kg praziquantel and 30 mg/kg oxamniquine) administered at 11 days, 5 days and 3 h before and 5, 21 and 49 days after infection, the reduction in adult worm recovery was 0·0%, 65·1%, 58·8%, 33·6%, 0·0% and 76·0% for praziquantel and 0·0%, 66·0%, 60·0%, 41·3%, 10·8% and 79·0% for oxamniquine. Numbers of lung schistosomula and the size of hepatic granulomata were also reduced.
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