{"title":"First Report of the Molecular Prevalence of Trichomonads from Oral Cavities in Household Dogs and Cats in East China.","authors":"Li-Qin Gui, Xing-Hua Wu, Si-Lan Shi, Chen-Chen Liu, Man-Ting Li, Xue-Li Ge, Jia-Min Ma, Rong-Jun Gong, Xin-Chao Liu, Wen-Chao Li","doi":"10.1007/s11686-025-01077-0","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s11686-025-01077-0","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Recently, several trichomonads species including Trichomonas tenax, Trichomonas brixi and Tetratrichomonas sp. have been found in the oral cavities in dogs and cats. Although the number of dogs and cats is rapidly increasing in China, the prevalence and zoonotic potential of oral trichomonads in dogs and cats remains unclear.</p><p><strong>Purpose: </strong>This study investigated the molecular prevalence of oral trichomonads in pet dogs and cats in East China using molecular methods.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A total of 386 dogs and 497 cats from five pet clinics in Anhui Province and Shanghai city were determined in terms of the occurrence and species distribution of oral trichomonads using the PCR amplification and sequence of ITS1-5.8S rRNA-ITS2 region.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The overall prevalence of oral trichomonads in dogs and cats in this study was 2.8% (25/883), with infection rates of 2.6% (10/386) in dogs and 3.0% (15/497) in cats. Initial evaluation of potential risk factors found no significant difference in prevalence of oral trichomonads between age and gender form tested dogs or cats. Sequence alignment and phylogenetic analyses revealed the presence of T. tenax and T. brixi in pet dogs and cats in East China.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>The present work represents the first report about the prevalence and zoonotic potential of oral trichomonads in dogs and cats in China. Considering the zoonotic potential of T. tenax, the huge population of companion animals in China, and the close relationship between owners and companion animals, transmission between humans and domestic animals should be taken into consideration.</p>","PeriodicalId":6932,"journal":{"name":"Acta Parasitologica","volume":"70 3","pages":"136"},"PeriodicalIF":1.2,"publicationDate":"2025-06-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144281949","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Yener Özel, İbrahim Çavuş, Feyzullah Tokay, Sema Bağdat, Ahmet Özbilgin
{"title":"Synthesis and Evaluation of a Hybrid Miltefosine-Silver Nanoparticle Complex: Synergistic Interaction with Benznidazole Against Trypanosoma cruzi.","authors":"Yener Özel, İbrahim Çavuş, Feyzullah Tokay, Sema Bağdat, Ahmet Özbilgin","doi":"10.1007/s11686-025-01074-3","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s11686-025-01074-3","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objective: </strong>Chagas disease is an infectious disease classified under neglected tropical diseases and caused by the protozoan parasite Trypanosoma cruzi. This study aimed to investigate the cytotoxic activity, antitrypanosomal efficacy, and combination effects with benznidazole of hybrid silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) synthesized with miltefosine against T. cruzi epimastigotes.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>In this study, a hybrid miltefosine (Mil)-silver nanoparticle (OA-MilAg-NP) complex was synthesized. The nanoparticles were characterized using FT-IR spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analyses. The cytotoxicity of the nanoparticles was assessed in L929 fibroblast cells, while their antitrypanosomal activity was evaluated against a Trypanosoma cruzi ATCC 50828 strain using the broth microdilution method. The interaction between the nanoparticle complex or miltefosine and benznidazole was analyzed using the checkerboard method.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>FT-IR analysis demonstrated that the amylose surface was successfully coated with silver and miltefosine, confirming the successful synthesis of the hybrid complex. SEM analysis revealed that the nanoparticles exhibited a spherical morphology with varying sizes, while TEM analysis determined their sizes ranged between 10.14 and 18.42 nm. The OA-MilAg-NP complex exhibited high antitrypanosomal activity and a selectivity index twice as high as that of miltefosine. Synergistic interactions were observed in the combinations of the OA-MilAg-NP complex or miltefosine with benznidazole.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>The development of novel bioactive compounds with lower toxicity compared to traditional drugs has become essential for the treatment of Chagas disease. Drug repurposing combined with nanotechnology applications holds significant potential for improving therapeutic outcomes. The hybridization of miltefosine with silver nanoparticles, demonstrating strong antitrypanosomal activity and synergistic effects with benznidazole, may fill critical gaps in the literature.</p>","PeriodicalId":6932,"journal":{"name":"Acta Parasitologica","volume":"70 3","pages":"135"},"PeriodicalIF":1.2,"publicationDate":"2025-06-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12162769/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144273927","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Perillyl Alcohol Exerts an Anti-Toxoplasma gondii Effect by Regulating the Expression of Genes Related To Isoprenylation.","authors":"Yihao Yu, Qingyang Song, Hongmei Li, Shujing Wang, Xiaomin Zhao, Ningning Zhao, Xiao Zhang","doi":"10.1007/s11686-025-01063-6","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s11686-025-01063-6","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose: </strong>Recent years have seen increased focused on developing new anti-parasitic drugs that are both highly effective and low in toxicity, as the widespread use of existing anti-parasitic drugs has raised growing concerns. Natural products have gained significant interest due to their diverse biological activities with minimal toxic side effects. Our previous studies have already demonstrated the good anti-E. tenella effect of Perillyl Alcohol. To further investigate its efficacy against other protozoa, we selected Toxoplasma gondii as the researchsubject.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>In this study, we utilized the CCK-8 assay in vitro to assess the cytotoxicity of Perillyl Alcohol on DF-1 cells. The impact of Perillyl Alcohol of T. gondii tachyzoite invasion and intracellular proliferation were investigated in vitro. In vivo, we evaluated the effect of Perillyl Alcohol on the pathogenicity of T. gondii, including host survival time, liver and spleen tissue damage, cysts formed in the brain. Furthermore, we analyzed the expression levels of isoprenylation-related genes using quantitative PCR (qPCR).</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The half maximal inhibitory concentration (CC50) of Perillyl Alcohol against DF-1 cells was determined to be 525.0. In vitro studies showed that treatment with Perillyl Alcohol effectively inhibited the invasion rate and intracellular proliferation of T. gondii tachyzoite. The half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) was calculated to be 314.3, and further analysis yielded a selectivity index (SI) of 1.67. In vivo, Perillyl Alcohol treatment prolonged the survival time and increased the survival rate of T. gondii-infected mice, while reducing the parasite burden in liver and spleen tissues. It also demonstrated a certain protective effect against T. gondii-induced tissue damage, including effectively alleviating hepatosplenomegaly and mitigating the elevation of serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) levels induced by hepatic injury. Building on this foundation, we further explored the impact of Perillyl Alcohol on the formation of brain cysts and found that it could significantly reduce the number of brain cysts induced by the Pru strain of T. gondii infection. After treatment with Perillyl Alcohol, the expression levels of isoprenylation-related enzymes Tgmecs, Tgdxr, and Tghdr were significantly reduced.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>These results demonstrate that Perillyl Alcohol may suppress the growth of T. gondii by significantly inhibiting the expression of enzymes involved in isoprenoid biosynthesis.</p>","PeriodicalId":6932,"journal":{"name":"Acta Parasitologica","volume":"70 3","pages":"130"},"PeriodicalIF":1.2,"publicationDate":"2025-06-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144265023","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"A New Species of Fur Mite (Acari: Myobiidae) Parasitizing Laboratory Mice, With a Key to the Subgenus Myobia.","authors":"Ying-Chien Cheng, Jhih-Rong Liao, Cho-Hua Wan","doi":"10.1007/s11686-025-01072-5","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s11686-025-01072-5","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose: </strong>The genus Myobia (Acari: Myobiidae) includes obligate ectoparasites of rodents, with M. murismusculi being the most frequently reported species in laboratory mouse colonies worldwide. However, morphological overlap and nomenclatural confusion have long hindered accurate species identification. This study aims to describe a new fur mite species from Mus musculus and to distinguish it from M. murismusculi and related taxa using detailed morphological and morphometric analyses.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Fur mites were collected from laboratory mice in two facilities and examined using light and scanning electron microscopy. Morphological characters were described, measured, and illustrated. Sstandardized morphometric characters were analyzed across multiple Myobia species using principal component analysis (PCA) and permutational multivariate analysis of variance (PERMANOVA) to assess interspecific variation and species boundaries.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The new species, Myobia murina sp. nov., differs from M. murismusculi by longer dorsal setae ve and si. PCA and t-SNE analyses revealed a distinct cluster for M. murina, and PERMANOVA confirmed significant morphological divergence from all examined congeners (R² = 0.873, p < 0.001). An updated identification key for female mites of the subgenus Myobia is also provided.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>This study demonstrates the utility of morphometric approaches in mite taxonomy and confirms M. murina sp. nov. as a morphologically and statistically distinct species. Accurate species identification is essential for laboratory animal health management and fur mite diagnostics.</p>","PeriodicalId":6932,"journal":{"name":"Acta Parasitologica","volume":"70 3","pages":"131"},"PeriodicalIF":1.2,"publicationDate":"2025-06-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144265020","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Cynthia Guzmán, María Luisa Villareal-Ortega, Nelly Villalobos, Anabel Ortiz-Caltempa, Marisela Hernández, Mario Néquiz-Avendaño, Luisa-Carolina González-Ramírez, Gladis Fragoso, Edda Sciutto, César Díaz-Godínez, Julio César Carrero
{"title":"Aqueous Extracts of Carica papaya Embryogenic Callus Kill Entamoeba histolytica Trophozoites and Orally Protect against the Development of Amoebic Liver Abscesses in Hamsters.","authors":"Cynthia Guzmán, María Luisa Villareal-Ortega, Nelly Villalobos, Anabel Ortiz-Caltempa, Marisela Hernández, Mario Néquiz-Avendaño, Luisa-Carolina González-Ramírez, Gladis Fragoso, Edda Sciutto, César Díaz-Godínez, Julio César Carrero","doi":"10.1007/s11686-025-01071-6","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s11686-025-01071-6","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose: </strong>This study evaluated the anti-amoebic properties of aqueous extracts of two Carica papaya callus clones, Wild Type (Pcc-WT-AE) and KETc7-expressing (Pcc-KETc7-AE) clones, in in vitro and in vivo assays.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>E. histolytica trophozoites cultures were exposed for 24 h to varying concentrations of the C. papaya aqueous extracts, and their viability and IC<sub>50</sub> determined by MTT assays. In in vivo studies, golden hamsters were infected intraportally with E. histolytica trophozoites and orally treated with the C. papaya aqueous extracts for 7 days. The animals were sacrificed on day 8, and the development of ALA was recorded. Comparisons were made against metronidazole (MTZ).</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Both extracts statistically reduced trophozoite viability at 24 h in a dose-dependent manner in vitro. Pcc-KETc7-AE showed activity to the same extent as MTZ (IC<sub>50</sub> 36.08 µg/ml vs. 33.54 µg/ml, respectively), whereas Pcc-WT-AE exhibited less efficient but significant activity (IC<sub>50</sub> 113.4 µg/ml). Cell death analysis indicated that both extracts killed trophozoites by necrosis. In vivo studies showed that oral treatment with Pcc-WT-AE (4 and 8 mg/dose/hamster) completely prevented ALA development in 80% of animals, comparable to the effect of MTZ. In contrast, oral treatment with Pcc-KETc7-AE did not prevent lesions, but statistically reduced hepatomegaly, ALA size, and necrotic areas in tissue sections.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>The aqueous extracts from C. papaya embryogenic callus cultures analyzed here exhibit potent, yet variable, anti-E. histolytica activity in both in vitro and in vivo studies. The activity was nearly as effective as MTZ suggesting their potential use as a new, natural and safe oral treatment for amebiasis.</p>","PeriodicalId":6932,"journal":{"name":"Acta Parasitologica","volume":"70 3","pages":"134"},"PeriodicalIF":1.2,"publicationDate":"2025-06-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12158857/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144265021","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Delwendé Florence Ouédraogo, Hamtandi Magloire Natama, Hermann Sorgho, Sarah Bénédicte Kaboré, Mwinessobaonfou Athanase Somé, Aida Millogo, Abdoul-Rahim Ouédraogo, Pieter Guetens, Johanna Helena Kattenberg, Aly Savadogo, Halidou Tinto, Anna Rosanas-Urgell
{"title":"Performances of Malaria PfHRP2 and the Combined PfHRP2/pLDH Based Rapid Diagnostic Tests among Children Under Five Years of Age in a High Seasonal Malaria Transmission Area in Burkina Faso.","authors":"Delwendé Florence Ouédraogo, Hamtandi Magloire Natama, Hermann Sorgho, Sarah Bénédicte Kaboré, Mwinessobaonfou Athanase Somé, Aida Millogo, Abdoul-Rahim Ouédraogo, Pieter Guetens, Johanna Helena Kattenberg, Aly Savadogo, Halidou Tinto, Anna Rosanas-Urgell","doi":"10.1007/s11686-025-01070-7","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s11686-025-01070-7","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose: </strong>Despite countrywide seasonal malaria chemoprevention (SMC) in Burkina Faso, malaria remains high among under-five year children during peak transmission season, questioning about SMC effectiveness and diagnostic tools accuracy.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>This study assessed the performance of SD-Bioline malaria rapid diagnostic test (RDT) P.f<sup>®</sup> (PfHRP2) alongside combined SD-Bioline malaria RDT P.f<sup>®</sup> (HRP2/pLDH) and light microscopy (LM) against varATS quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) as reference, among SMC-aged children in high seasonal malaria transmission setting in Burkina Faso. A two-year longitudinal study (March 2019-March 2021) conducted in Nanoro health district screened 995 suspected malaria cases. Diagnostic performances of PfHRP2-based RDT and LM were assessed in all cases, while both RDTs were evaluated in a subgroup of 401.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Malaria proportion was 79.9% (795/995), 88.7% (883/995) and 73.6% (732/995) by varATS qPCR, PfHRP2-based RDT and LM respectively. PfHRP2-based RDT and the LM showed similar accuracy [85.3% (95%CI: 83.0-87.5) and 84.6% (95%CI: 82.2-86.8), respectively], but differed in specificity [41.5% (95%CI: 34.6-48.7) versus 77.5% (95%CI: 71.1-83.1), p < 0.001]. Specificity of PfHRP2-based RDT further declined during the high transmission season compared to the low [27.1% (95%CI: 19.0-36.6) versus 58.1% (95%CI: 47.4-68.2), p < 0.001]. In the subgroup, PfHRP2/pLDH-based RDT showed higher specificity than PfHRP2-based RDT during both high [42.3% (95%CI: 28.7-56.8) versus 17.3% (95%CI: 8.2-30.3), p < 0.001] and low transmission seasons [84.0% (95%CI: 63.9-95.5) versus 60.0% (95%CI: 38.7-78.9), p < 0.001]. Moreover, LM substantially agreed with PfHRP2/pLDH-based RDT (Kappa = 0.71), but moderately with PfHRP2-based RDT (Kappa = 0.46).</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Findings suggest revising of malaria RDT recommendations, promoting PfHRP2/pLDH-based RDTs to improve malarial and non-malarial fevers management in SMC-aged children.</p>","PeriodicalId":6932,"journal":{"name":"Acta Parasitologica","volume":"70 3","pages":"132"},"PeriodicalIF":1.2,"publicationDate":"2025-06-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12159090/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144265022","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Seroprevalence of Toxoplasmosis and the Possible Role of C-Reactive Protein in the Pathogenesis of Myocardial Infarction in Patients from Iraq; A Case Control Study.","authors":"Al-Abbas Fadhil Jasim, Amal Khudair Khalaf","doi":"10.1007/s11686-025-01073-4","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s11686-025-01073-4","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>The objective of this study was to assess the seroepidemiological prevalence of Toxoplasma gondii infection, as well as the serum concentrations and expression levels of C-reactive protein (CRP) in patients diagnosed with myocardial infarction (MI) in Iraq.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>This case-control study involved 200 patients diagnosed with myocardial infarction (MI) and a control group of 200 healthy individuals (non-MI) in Baghdad, Iraq, conducted from September 2023 to October 2024. Anti-Toxoplasma IgG and IgM levels, along with serum concentrations of C-reactive protein (CRP), were evaluated using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kit. Additionally, the expression level of CRP was measured through real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR).</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The prevalence of anti-Toxoplasma IgG antibodies was found in 111 individuals (55.5%) within the MI group, compared to 92 individuals (42.9%) in the non-MI group. Serum levels and expression of the CRP gene were significantly elevated (P < 0.001) in MI patients who were seropositive for T. gondii antibodies, in comparison to both seronegative MI patients and non-MI participants. The results of the multivariate analysis indicated that individuals aged 30 to 40 years had a 2.14 times higher likelihood of being infected with T. gondii compared to other age groups (p = 0.032, CI = 1.121-4.21). Additionally, MI patients who consumed raw or undercooked meat exhibited 2.26 times greater likelihood of T. gondii infection compared to those who did not consume such meat (p = 0.003, OR = 2.26, CI = 1.372-4.861). Furthermore, female participants diagnosed with MI showed a 3.21-fold increased probability of contracting Toxoplasma infection (p = 0.002, CI = 1.521-7.321).</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>We found a high prevalence of anti-T. gondii antibodies in patients with MI compared to those without MI. These findings suggest a potential role of CRP in the pathogenesis of MI. Furthermore, elevated levels of CRP may provide a valuable framework for further investigation into the role of T. gondii in the context of MI. However, additional studies are needed to confirm these findings by evaluating some key biomarkers, as high-sensitivity (Hs-CRP).</p>","PeriodicalId":6932,"journal":{"name":"Acta Parasitologica","volume":"70 3","pages":"133"},"PeriodicalIF":1.2,"publicationDate":"2025-06-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144265024","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Mohamed M Baz, Esraa A Elhawary, Abeer H A Abdelhafiz, Reham M Mostafa, Mohammed H Alruhaili, Hattan S Gattan, Abdelfattah Selim, Mohammed E Gad, Heba F Abd-Elkhalek
{"title":"Efficacy of Hot Capsicum annuum Extracts Against the Biological Activity of Culex pipiens and Musca domestica Larvae with their Phytochemical Profiles.","authors":"Mohamed M Baz, Esraa A Elhawary, Abeer H A Abdelhafiz, Reham M Mostafa, Mohammed H Alruhaili, Hattan S Gattan, Abdelfattah Selim, Mohammed E Gad, Heba F Abd-Elkhalek","doi":"10.1007/s11686-025-01066-3","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s11686-025-01066-3","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose: </strong>The extensive use of chemical pesticides poses risks to the environment and human health due to the toxicity and poor biodegradability. Alternative natural practices, including the use of natural molecules, are needed to achieve more sustainable production methods to meet consumer and societal expectations. Plants contain a wide range of potential phytochemicals that target a specific target, are rapidly biodegradable, are environmentally friendly, and have a variety of therapeutic effects, making them a treasure trove of biological materials.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Toxicity of hot Capsicum annuum extracts was tested against 3<sup>rd</sup> instar larvae of Culex pipiens and Musca domestica. LC₅₀ values were determined using serial concentrations, and phytochemical profiling was performed to identify active compounds with molecular docking studies.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>In this study, different exposure periods of various Capsicum annuum extracts showed high insecticidal activity against mosquito and housefly larvae. The petroleum ether (CAPe) extract from C. annuum was the most effective (100 MO%) against Culex pipiens (LC<sub>50</sub> = 150.46 ppm) and Musca domestica larvae (LC<sub>50</sub> = 0.18 mg/ml) 24 h after treatment. The LC<sub>50</sub> dose of the CAPe extract led to a negative effect on the insect metabolism process represented by a significant decrease in the activity level of protease, lipase, α-amylase, and invertase enzymes in both mosquito and fly larvae. Antimicrobial activity tests showed that the CAPe extract killed all of the microbes that were tested, except for Penicillium glabrum. The UPLC/MS comparison of the four Capsicum extracts led to the possible identification of eighty metabolites. The large amounts of flavonoids, phenolic acids, and capsaicinoids were in line with what has been written about the genus Capsicum. Moreover, the multivariate data analysis showed that capsaicinoids, sophorolipids, triterpenoids, and phenolic acids were abundant in the methanol extract compared to flavonoids, triterpenoids, and fatty acids for the petroleum ether extract. Simultaneously, the docking results showed that all of the docked compounds could fit into the digestive lysosome active site of M. domestica (2H5Z).</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>The major compounds in petroleum ether extract were able to interact with essential amino acids at the target sites of both Cx. pipiens and M. domestica, and therefore the insects' life-supporting functions were negatively affected. Overall, CAPe extract from Capsicum annuum could be a promising ecofriendly bioinsecticide.</p>","PeriodicalId":6932,"journal":{"name":"Acta Parasitologica","volume":"70 3","pages":"129"},"PeriodicalIF":1.2,"publicationDate":"2025-06-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144245671","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
José Pompeu de Araujo Neto, Csaba Székely, Jhonata Eduard, Marcia de Nazare Sacco Dos Santos, Camila Maria Barbosa Pereira, Evonnildo Costa Gonçalves, Michele Velasco, José Ledamir Sindeaux Neto
{"title":"Hepatic coccidiosis in Bagre Bagre (Linnaeus, 1766) from the Brazilian Amazon Region Caused by Calyptospora Matosi n. sp. (Apicomplexa: Eimeriidae).","authors":"José Pompeu de Araujo Neto, Csaba Székely, Jhonata Eduard, Marcia de Nazare Sacco Dos Santos, Camila Maria Barbosa Pereira, Evonnildo Costa Gonçalves, Michele Velasco, José Ledamir Sindeaux Neto","doi":"10.1007/s11686-025-01064-5","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s11686-025-01064-5","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose: </strong>Coccidia (Coccidiasina) is a subclass of Apicomplexa, known to cause gastrointestinal diseases in animals. Although its importance is recognized, there are few taxonomic studies of coccidia in fish, especially in biomes with high diversity, such as the Brazilian Amazon. Therefore, the present study investigated infections by coccidian microparasites found in the hepatic region of the Coco sea catfish, Bagre bagre.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Parasitological analyses were performed on 50 specimens of B. bagre collected in Bragança and Curuça, in northern Brazil, between January and December 2021.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Infections caused by coccidiosis were identified in 35 of these specimens, which were infected by parasites of the genus Calyptospora, including both sporulated and non-sporulated forms in the hepatic stroma of the hosts. The oocysts were spherical (mean diameter: 10.52 ± 0.29 μm) and contained four spheroid sporocysts (mean diameter: 4.22 ± 0.23 μm). A consensus sequence (1,320 bp) of the SSU rDNA gene from these parasites was compared with GenBank sequences of other species of the class Coccidiomorphea and the genetic distances indicated that they represented a new species.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>The combination of the morphometric and phylogenetic evidence supports conclusively the existence of a new species of the genus Calyptospora, which is denominated Calyptospora matosi n. sp.</p>","PeriodicalId":6932,"journal":{"name":"Acta Parasitologica","volume":"70 3","pages":"126"},"PeriodicalIF":1.2,"publicationDate":"2025-06-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144232833","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Molecular Evidence for Greater Diversity Within Acanthamoeba.","authors":"Daniele Corsaro","doi":"10.1007/s11686-025-01068-1","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s11686-025-01068-1","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose: </strong>The opportunistic parasite Acanthamoeba comprises several genotypes. However, partial rDNA sequences and previous work suggest the possible existence of other, as yet unrecorded lineages. This study aims to identify such sequences and clarify their relationships.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>In this study, a broad search for possible new rDNA sequences belonging to Acanthamoeba and its closest relatives was conducted by exploring available data in GenBank.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Several partial sequences, including 18S and/or LSU rDNA sequences, were identified, representing additional genotypes within the Acanthamoeba culbertsoni and Acanthamoeba micheli groups, as well as entirely new near-basal lineages for which no morphological data are available. Furthermore, some sequences could belong to new species of Protacanthamoeba, Luapeleamoeba, and/or a close relative within Acanthamoebidae.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>The study identified several highly divergent partial 18 S/LSU rDNA sequences that branch consistently in phylogenetic trees and likely represent new lineages. Given the increasing diversity of Acanthamoeba and its close relatives, further efforts to isolate these strains for morphological study are recommended.</p>","PeriodicalId":6932,"journal":{"name":"Acta Parasitologica","volume":"70 3","pages":"128"},"PeriodicalIF":1.2,"publicationDate":"2025-06-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144232834","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}