Parasitology International最新文献

{"title":"Endoparasites in yellow anaconda (Eunectes notaeus) in the wild through coproparasitological tools","authors":"Mariané Belen Mañez ,&nbsp;Alan Ariel Santilli Poch ,&nbsp;Josefina Lacunza ,&nbsp;Juan Facundo Draque ,&nbsp;Mariano Barros ,&nbsp;Lorena De Felice ,&nbsp;Juan Manuel Unzaga ,&nbsp;Julia Inés Diaz","doi":"10.1016/j.parint.2025.103173","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.parint.2025.103173","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Snakes constitute the largest group of reptiles and play a crucial role in food chains, contributing to the balance of ecosystems. Despite this, they remain the least studied reptiles in the wild. This study aimed to identify the parasitic forms present in a wild population of yellow anacondas (<em>Eunectes notaeus</em>) from La Estrella marsh, Formosa, Argentina, through faecal matter analysis using flotation, sedimentation, and staining techniques. Between 2019 and 2023, 150 faecal samples were collected from the “Yellow Anaconda Management Program” in Fortín La Soledad. The samples were processed using the qualitative modified Ritchie sedimentation technique (ST), Willis flotation technique (FT), and Kinyoun staining. Parasitic forms belonging to four taxa were recovered. The prevalence of parasitism (P) was 64 % (ST) and 38 % (FT), and the following taxa were detected: <em>Crepidobothrium</em> sp. (Cestoda) eggs (<em>P</em> = 44.66 % ST and 24.66 % FT), <em>Telorchis</em> sp. (Digenea) eggs (<em>P</em> = 26 % ST and 18 % FT), and Nematoda larvae and eggs (<em>P</em> = 12 % ST and 2.66 % FT). Also, coccidia were detected using the FT (<em>P</em> = 1.33 %). The Ritchie method was more effective than the Willis method, specifically in recovering <em>Crepidobothrium</em> eggs and nematode larvae, while the Willis method was the only one that detected coccidia. No <em>Cryptosporidium</em> oocysts were found. In this study, the diagnosis of parasitic forms represents a valuable contribution to the ophidian parasitology, as well as an evaluation of the effectiveness of the techniques used.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":19983,"journal":{"name":"Parasitology International","volume":"111 ","pages":"Article 103173"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145150391","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Climatic factors and their impact on cutaneous Leishmaniasis: Predicting the number of patients using ARIMA model","authors":"Behrad Pourmohammadi ,&nbsp;Fatemeh Shahsavan ,&nbsp;Fatemeh Paknazar ,&nbsp;Monireh Manavi ,&nbsp;Farin Fatemi","doi":"10.1016/j.parint.2025.103185","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.parint.2025.103185","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Cutaneous Leishmaniasis (CL) is a zoonotic disease transmitted through phlebotomine sandfly bites. Identifying factors influencing and predicting the disease incidence is crucial. This study aimed to investigate the impact of climatic factors on CL incidence and predict patient numbers in Damghan County. In this study, we collected CL cases data from the Damghan County Health Network on monthly and annual basis from 2012 to 2021. Climatic data were obtained from the Meteorological Organization, the Department of Natural Resources and Watershed Management, and the National Statistics Center of Iran. Data analysis was performed using SPSS – 22 and R - 4.3.1 to examine significant relationships between climatic variables and CL incidence, as well as to predict the number of patients in the coming years. The findings revealed significant correlations between CL incidence and several climatic factors, including air pressure (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.001), relative humidity (P &lt; 0.001), sunshine hours (<em>P</em> = 0.002), maximum temperature (<em>P</em> = 0.003), average temperature (<em>P</em> = 0.005), minimum temperature (<em>P</em> = 0.006), precipitation (<em>P</em> = 0.022), and maximum wind speed (<em>P</em> = 0.029.). Additionally, the ARIMA model predicted approximately 370 and 180 patients in 2023 and 2024, respectively. The annual incidence of CL can be largely attributed to seasonal and annual climatic variations. This highlights the necessity of implementing sandfly control measures before the onset of summer when conditions become optimal for the disease outbreak. Also, predicting the possible number of people suffering from the disease in the coming years can play an effective role in planning for the prevention and control of the disease.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":19983,"journal":{"name":"Parasitology International","volume":"111 ","pages":"Article 103185"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145426997","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Explainable Convolutional Neural Networks for the identification of the Ampullariidae genus","authors":"Rabi Suraj Duwa ,&nbsp;Kabir Salihu Suraj","doi":"10.1016/j.parint.2025.103200","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.parint.2025.103200","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Invasive freshwater snails of the family <em>Ampullariidae</em> present significant threats to agriculture, biodiversity, and public health. Recent advances in deep learning have enabled automated identification of medically and agriculturally important snail species, but most existing models function as opaque “black boxes”, limiting their utility in taxonomic research and ecological decision-making. In this study, we propose an explainable convolutional neural network (CNN) architecture based on VGG16 and Grad-CAM to classify and interpret morphological features of <em>Ampullariidae</em> and related genera. A curated dataset comprising 350 field-collected <em>Ampullariidae</em> specimens from northern Nigeria, augmented with labeled images of <em>Biomphalaria</em>, <em>Bulinus</em>, <em>Lymnae</em>, and <em>Melanoides</em>, was used to train and validate the model. The classifier achieved a validation accuracy of 0.99 within 20 epochs, indicating robust performance. Grad-CAM overlays revealed that the network correctly focused on genus-specific shell features, such as spire height, coiling direction, and aperture orientation. Our findings demonstrate that explainable deep learning can enhance taxonomic precision and provide visual insights into diagnostic traits, making it a powerful tool for ecological monitoring and parasite control programs.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":19983,"journal":{"name":"Parasitology International","volume":"111 ","pages":"Article 103200"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145573559","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Open defaecation and hygiene practices in relation to Soil-Transmitted Helminths in the advent of Mass Drug Administration in Ona-Ara, Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria","authors":"D.A. Oyebamiji,&nbsp;C.Y. Ajayi,&nbsp;B.O. Banwo","doi":"10.1016/j.parint.2025.103149","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.parint.2025.103149","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Soil-Transmitted Helminths (STHs) infections are one of the Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) in tropical Africa and have been targeted for possible elimination in the year 2030. This study was conducted between August 2022 and July 2023 in Ona-Ara Local Government Area (LGA), Ibadan, Nigeria, to investigate the effects of Open Defaecation (OD), Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) practices on STHs status in the advent of mass drug administration in the communities. 450 structured questionnaires covering demographics (age, sex), and WASH practices were given to consenting participants. 450 faecal samples from consenting participants and 1350 soil samples from the environment were collected from five different communities: Akanran, Olorunda, Idi-Ose, Amuloko, and Ore-Meji in the LGA. Parasites were extracted from the contaminated soil using floatation and modified Baermann methods while sedimentation method was used to detect parasites in the faecal samples and quantified by Kato-Katz techniques. Data were analyzed using descriptive, regression and ANOVA at α _0.05. 59.8 % of the participants did not have access to potable water while 40.2 % claimed drinking water directly from the tap. Furthermore, 42.2 % had water closet, 41.1 % pit latrine, and 16.7 % practised OD of which 60.8 % are infected with STH. In terms of hygiene practices, 6.7 % reported that they do not wash with soap and water after defaecation, while 43.8 % claimed that they use tissue paper or water occasionally. The parasites prevalence in faecal samples collected from participants was 38 % in Ona Ara and the overall intensity was 265 per gram of faeces. <em>Ascaris</em> had the highest intensity of STH (300epg), followed by hookworm (210epg), <em>Trichuris</em> (50epg), and the least <em>Strongyloides</em> (32epg). The variation in the distribution of parasites was significant at χ² = 75.21, <em>p</em> ≤ 0.05. 52.1 % of the sampled soil had at least one STH parasites and <em>Strongyloides</em> larvae was found to have highest prevalence in soil samples collected in the following locations: Akanran (35.8 %), Olorunda (37.8 %), Amuloko (39.4 %), and Idi-Ose (59.3 %) whereas, hookworm larvae had highest prevalence of 60.7 % in Ore-Meji. There is continuous transmission of STH among the populations living in Ona-Ara and the soil environment owing to OD and the hygiene practices. One Health Approach (animal, environment, and man) studies should be further carried out in the communities.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":19983,"journal":{"name":"Parasitology International","volume":"110 ","pages":"Article 103149"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2026-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144922643","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Morphological and molecular characterization of four Ceratomyxa species parasitizing marine fish in Japan including descriptions of three new species","authors":"Reika Oe ,&nbsp;Sho Shirakashi ,&nbsp;Hiroe Ishitani ,&nbsp;Melissa Jayne Carabott ,&nbsp;Nguyen Ngoc Chinh","doi":"10.1016/j.parint.2025.103146","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.parint.2025.103146","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>A parasitological survey in western Japan identified the myxosporean parasites in the bile and gallbladders of four marine fish species: farmed white trevally <em>Pseudocaranx dentex</em> (Bloch &amp; Schneider), Pacific bluefin tuna <em>Thunnus orientalis</em> (Temminck &amp; Schlegel), and red seabream <em>Pagrus major</em> (Temminck &amp; Schlegel), as well as wild false kelpfish <em>Sebastiscus marmoratus</em> (Cuvier). Morphological characterization and molecular analysis of the small subunit rDNA confirmed that these parasites belong to the genus <em>Ceratomyxa</em>. Three novel species were identified: <em>Ceratomyxa shimaaji</em> n. sp. from <em>P. dentex</em> (prevalence 100 %, <em>n</em> = 8 fish), <em>Ceratomyxa kuromaguro</em> n. sp. from <em>T. orientalis</em> (prevalence 100 %, <em>n</em> = 1 fish), and <em>Ceratomyxa gashira</em> n. sp. from <em>S. marmoratus</em> (prevalence 100 %, <em>n</em> = 1 fish). Additionally, <em>Ceratomyxa</em> cf. <em>barnesi</em>, was detected in <em>P. major</em> (prevalence 10 %, <em>n</em> = 10 fish). While the pathological effects of these <em>Ceratomyxa</em> species on their hosts remain to be investigated, this study contributes to a broader understanding of the diversity and geographic distribution of <em>Ceratomyxa</em> spp. in marine fish.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":19983,"journal":{"name":"Parasitology International","volume":"110 ","pages":"Article 103146"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2026-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144902382","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"First report of Saccocoelioides nanii (Digenea: Haploporidae) infecting an extremophile host, Jenynsia sulfurica (Cyprinodontiformes: Anablepidae)","authors":"Macarena S. De Martino ,&nbsp;Guillermo E. Teran ,&nbsp;Patricia M.C. Romero ,&nbsp;Felipe Alonso ,&nbsp;Melisa Moncada ,&nbsp;German Reig Cardarella ,&nbsp;Gaston Aguilera ,&nbsp;Martin M. Montes","doi":"10.1016/j.parint.2025.103148","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.parint.2025.103148","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>A species of <em>Saccocoelioides</em> (Haploporidae) is reported from the intestine of the livebearer fish <em>Jenynsia sulfurica</em> (Anablepidae), which inhabits an extremophile environment in northwestern Argentina. This host species lives in a sulfide-rich thermal stream characterized by several extreme environmental conditions, including high temperatures, low oxygen levels, moderate pH, and elevated total dissolved solids. Morphological and molecular analyses indicate that the parasite under study is consistent with <em>Saccocoelioides nanii</em>. Morphological comparisons revealed minor variations in body size and proportions, while molecular analysis based on partial sequences of 28S rDNA, COI and ITS2 regions confirmed its genetic similarity to previously described <em>S. nanii</em> populations. This discovery represents the first record of <em>S. nanii</em> parasitizing a member of the family Anablepidae, and the first occurrence under extremophile conditions. This finding expands the known host range and geographic distribution of the species and highlights the importance of integrative morphological and molecular approaches in understanding the diversity of this group.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":19983,"journal":{"name":"Parasitology International","volume":"110 ","pages":"Article 103148"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2026-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144903081","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"New record of Ixodes pavlovskyi (Acari: Ixodidae) from the Osaka Prefecture, western Japan: An update on the southernmost distribution record","authors":"Masahito Hidaka ,&nbsp;Hiroyuki Matsuyama","doi":"10.1016/j.parint.2025.103129","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.parint.2025.103129","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div><em>Ixodes pavlovskyi</em> inhabits cool temperate zones, especially in Russia, north-eastern China and northern Japan. This tick species is thought to transmit various pathogens such as <em>Borrelia</em> spp., <em>Rickettsia</em> spp. and tick-borne encephalitis virus. Hence, understanding the geographical distribution of <em>I. pavlovskyi</em> is important for estimating risk of tick-borne diseases. Among ticks collected using the flagging method in Osaka Prefecture, south-western Japan, we found a single <em>I. pavlovskyi</em> male that was identified based on its morphological features and the mitochondrial 16S rDNA sequence<em>.</em> To the best of our knowledge, the finding of <em>I. pavlovskyi</em> in Osaka Prefecture, highly humid subtropical western Japan, is the southernmost record of this species. Although ticks are dispersed towards the north by birds or mammals in the northern hemisphere, our findings suggest that they can also be transferred from north to south. Therefore, pathogens of tick-borne diseases that are endemic can be transferred from regions of high to low latitudes. This is an important discovery for understanding the biogeography of <em>I. pavlovskyi</em> and the risk of tick-borne diseases transmitted by <em>I. pavlovskyi</em>.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":19983,"journal":{"name":"Parasitology International","volume":"110 ","pages":"Article 103129"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2026-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144691214","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"An epidemiological survey of zoonotic Babesia species in questing ticks in Hokkaido, Japan, using a newly developed PCR-sequencing approach","authors":"Yihong Ma,&nbsp;Thillaiampalam Sivakumar,&nbsp;Ngigi Noel Muthoni Mumbi,&nbsp;Rika Umemiya-Shirafuji,&nbsp;Naoaki Yokoyama","doi":"10.1016/j.parint.2025.103136","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.parint.2025.103136","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Human babesiosis caused by tick-borne zoonotic <em>Babesia</em> species is a public health concern. However, the absence of diagnostic assays for several <em>Babesia</em> species limits surveillance efforts, leading to knowledge gap on endemic species and vectors. The present study aimed to develop a PCR-sequencing-based method for detecting zoonotic <em>Babesia</em> species and use it to survey questing ticks in Hokkaido, Japan. Through phylogenetic analysis of <em>18S rRNA</em> sequences, we grouped zoonotic <em>Babesia</em> species into three: 1) <em>Babesia microti</em> and <em>Babesia duncani</em>, 2) <em>Babesia divergens</em>, <em>Babesia venatorum</em>, and <em>Babesia odocoilei</em>, and 3) <em>Babesia crassa</em>-like species and <em>Babesia</em> sp. KO1. Three <em>18S rRNA</em>-based PCR assays were then developed for each group and used to screen DNA samples from 1456 questing ticks collected in Hokkaido, Japan. Of these ticks, 10 were positive in <em>B. microti</em>/<em>B. duncani</em>-PCR assay, including five <em>Ixodes persulcatus</em>, three <em>Ixodes ovatus</em>, and two <em>Haemaphysalis japonica</em>. Phylogenetic analysis of <em>18S rRNA</em> sequences derived from the PCR amplicons confirmed that these three tick species harboured US- and Hobetsu-types of <em>B. microti</em>. Additionally, one <em>I. persulcatus</em> tested positive in <em>B. divergens</em>/<em>B. venatorum</em>/<em>B. odocoilei</em>-PCR assay, with phylogenetic analyses of <em>18S rRNA</em> and <em>beta-tubulin</em> sequences suggesting the presence of a <em>B. divergens</em>-like species. All ticks were negative in <em>B. crassa</em>-like/<em>Babesia</em> sp. KO1 PCR assay. In conclusion, the present study, which developed a novel diagnostic approach to detect major zoonotic <em>Babesia</em> species, not only detected zoonotic <em>Babesia</em> in known tick vectors, but also identified <em>H. japonica</em> as a new potential vector of <em>B. microti</em> in Hokkaido.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":19983,"journal":{"name":"Parasitology International","volume":"110 ","pages":"Article 103136"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2026-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144760682","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Molecular diversity of cox1 and LSU rDNA sequences of Sarcocystis bertrami (syn. S. fayeri) (Apicomplexa: Eucoccidiorida: Sarcocystidae) in horses","authors":"Junko Toda ,&nbsp;Jiro Miyasaka ,&nbsp;Hideo Osako ,&nbsp;Koichi Murata ,&nbsp;Muchammad Yunus ,&nbsp;Reski Amalia ,&nbsp;Babi Kyi Soe ,&nbsp;Hiroshi Sato","doi":"10.1016/j.parint.2025.103144","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.parint.2025.103144","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Food poisoning caused by consuming raw horsemeat contaminated with <em>Sarcocystis</em> is a significant public health concern. Two morphotypes of sarcocysts in horsemeat, characterized by upright and folded villar protrusions, are typically identified as <em>Sarcocystis fayeri</em> and <em>S. bertrami</em>, respectively. However, recent molecular studies focusing on the ribosomal RNA gene (rDNA) and mitochondrial cytochrome <em>c</em> oxidase subunit I gene (<em>cox1</em>) have indicated a conspecific relationship between these two morphotypes using a limited number of specimens. To explore further genetic diversity in equid sarcocysts, <em>cox1</em> and large-subunit (LSU) rDNA sequences were analyzed in sarcocysts extracted from horsemeat inspected from 150 horses (76 and 41 horses imported from Canada and France, respectively, and 33 horses reared in Japan). Sarcocysts were detected in the muscles of 71, 2, and 3 horses from Canada, France, and Japan, respectively. Fifty-eight sarcocysts underwent <em>cox1</em> and the LSU rDNA sequencing. Newly obtained <em>cox1</em> sequences (<em>n</em> = 53) and sequences labeled as equid <em>S. bertrami</em>, <em>S. fayeri</em> and <em>S. asinus</em> retrieved from GenBank (n = 53) exhibited conspecific relationships. Inter-individual variation in <em>cox1</em> sequences was observed among various sarcocysts, even within a single host animal, although no intra-individual variation was observed. However, nuclear-embedded mitochondrial DNA (NUMT: <em>cox1</em> pseudogene) sequences were obtained using inappropriate techniques using certain primers. The LSU rDNA of sarcocysts (211 cloned sequences from 54 sarcocysts) exhibited inter-individual and robust intra-individual variations, indicating significant intragenomic rRNA array mosaicism in <em>S. bertrami</em>. These findings confirmed the conspecificity of classically defined species without geographical subpopulations.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":19983,"journal":{"name":"Parasitology International","volume":"110 ","pages":"Article 103144"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2026-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144902384","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Thymol's antileishmanial activity and its impact on host cytokine profiles: In vitro and ex vivo studies on Leishmania tropica.","authors":"Tülay Aksoy, Ali Ahmet Kilimcioğlu","doi":"10.1016/j.parint.2025.103139","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.parint.2025.103139","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) is a neglected tropical disease associated with significant morbidity, primarily due to chronic skin lesions, scarring, and psychosocial consequences. This study aimed to investigate the in vitro and ex vivo antileishmanial effects of thymol (1-500 μM) against Leishmania tropica (MHOM/TR/2012/CBCL-LT) infection. Thymol's in vitro efficacy was assessed on both promastigote (Haemocytometry and CellTiter-Glo assays) and amastigote (Giemsa staining and Parasite Rescue Transformation Assay) forms of L. tropica. Additionally, its immunomodulatory effects were evaluated by analyzing cytokine secretion (IFN-γ, IL-12, IL-10, and IL-4) and infectivity in THP-1 macrophages using ELISA. Cytotoxicity was determined by calculating the 50 % cytotoxic concentration (CC₅₀) in THP-1 cells. The in vitro inhibitory concentration (IC₅₀) value against L. tropica promastigotes was determined as 79.41 μM, while the ex vivo IC₅₀ value against amastigotes was 105.2 μM. Incubation of infected macrophages with thymol resulted in a dose-dependent increase in IFN-γ and IL-12 levels, along with a significant reduction in IL-10 and IL-4 secretion (p < 0.05). The CC₅₀ value of thymol in THP-1 cells was 160.7 μM, indicating low cytotoxicity. Moreover, the selectivity index (SI) values greater than 1 confirmed the compound's preferential action against amastigotes while exhibiting minimal toxicity toward macrophages. These findings highlight thymol's potential as an antileishmanial agent by effectively eliminating and controlling Leishmania parasites in both in vitro and ex vivo models. Due to its immunomodulatory properties and low cytotoxicity, thymol represents a promising starting point for the development of novel antileishmanial agents and alternative therapeutic strategies against CL caused by L. tropica.</p>","PeriodicalId":19983,"journal":{"name":"Parasitology International","volume":" ","pages":"103139"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2026-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144799908","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}