Archives of Razi Institute
Volume:77 Issue: 6, Nov-Dec 2022

Diet plays a crucial role in maintaining animal health, productivity, and reproductive performance. Among dietary elements, antioxidants from herbal essential oils are particularly important for stimulating growth performance, reproduction, and immune competence in animal production, especially while their replacement with synthetic antioxidants has no adverse side effects. Recent developments in nanotechnology have improved essential oils' absorption while protecting their bio-compounds. Despite its potential to improve animal health and performance, Nanotechnology has been underutilized in animal nutrition. Nano-encapsulation can cause enhance the herbal essential oil’s antioxidant, antimutagenic, anti-inflammatory, and immunomodulatory effects, plus prolonged shelf life, improved physicochemical stability, and controlled release of herbal essential oils. Therefore, herbal essential oils encapsulated with bioactive substances such as phenol, flavonoid, carotenoid, vitamins, and minerals can improve the health and performance of animals. They can be added to both drinking water and feed, where they can be efficiently delivered and fulfill their beneficial effects on the animals. All perspectives on nano-encapsulated herbal essential oils will be discussed in this review, emphasizing their effects on poultry.

Today, due to the importance of diseases controlled by vaccination, the production of biological products is of great importance in ensuring public health, so producing high-quality biological products plays an important role in maintaining public health. One of the most important principles of manufacturing high-quality and efficient biological products is using suitable seeds based on standard principles. To produce a suitable seed for continuous use for mass production of biological products, the seed must be defined according to certain principles and foundations. These principles are formed in the form of a seed lot system. In this review article, all the requirements for the establishment of a seed to produce a biological product include general seed information, including basic and seed information and microorganisms, seed-specific information including seed passage levels, propagation method, seed storage conditions, coding and labeling, identification information and design of suitable laboratories for passage, seed propagation, and storage, determination of seed characteristics including all necessary tests to determine seed identity, purity, potency, efficacy, stability, safety and also all the necessary information for documenting and storing seeds has been studied. Also, this study discusses the method of preparing all the necessary information for establishing a seed lot system, especially determining the characteristics of seeds. Based on the study's results, a complete and comprehensive seed lot system has been formed that can be used to prepare, propagate, passage, and store seeds used in the production of biological products.

Iatrogenic hallux varus is formed due to an imbalance between the bone, tendon, and ligamentous-articular structures in the first metatarsophalangeal joint (MJ), with the progression of the medial deviation of the big toe. A secondary factor is an imbalance between excessive medial tension and weakness or excessive soft tissue release of lateral capsular-ligamentous structures. The article is devoted to a rare but no less complex postoperative complication of hallux valgus deformity, acquired hallux varus. Based on the literature data on this topic, in the work, the clinical anatomy of the first metatarsophalangeal joint, the pathogenesis of the development of tendon-muscle imbalance in the above joint, and the leading causes of hallux varus are described. Also, the issues of the clinic, X-ray diagnostics, and classification of this type of foot pathology are considered with a description of the appropriate surgical tactics for different types of deformity.

The depth of invasion of colorectal cancer through the bowel wall provided the basis for pathological staging. The establishment of prognostic markers for CRC is important in the search for potential targets for therapeutic intervention. The cell surface nucleotidase (CD73) is an enzyme involved in tumor progression and metastasis. Its main function is to convert adenosine monophosphate (AMP) to adenosine. Preclinical studies suggest that CD73 can be targeted for cancer treatment. This study was designed to investigate the prognostic value of CD73 in malignant and benign colorectal tumors among Iraqi patients and its correlation with clinicopathological features using the immunohistochemistry (IHC) technique. In the current study, 60 cases of formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissues of colorectal tumors were collected from the Teaching Laboratories of Baghdad Medical City Teaching Hospital, Baghdad – Iraq & private labs in Baghdad. Of them, 52 were malignant, and 8 of benign cases. In addition, 10 cases of the non-pathological significance of colorectal tissues were used as a control group. This study's results revealed significant differences (P=0.001) in the expression of CD73 between malignant tumors and benign and non-significant pathology groups. The highest expression of CD73 was detected in 76.9% of malignant cases, while in the benign group, only 12.5% of cases showed weak positive expression for this marker. Furthermore, significant differences had been reported in CD73 expression with patients' age groups for malignant (P=0.0335), tumor side (P=0.0409), and tumor grade & stage (P=≤0.01). No significant differences had been seen between CD73 expression with tumor diameter and patients' gender.

Given the significant evolution in the global food consumption pattern, animal protein needs have increased. This pattern has been leading to intensified efforts to develop the poultry industry that adopts scientific methods and advanced technologies since poultry meat is an important source of animal protein. Therefore, this study aimed to use different levels of therapeutic Curcuma in the diets provided to broilers and its role in production traits. This study was conducted at the University of Baghdad / College of Agricultural Engineering Sciences. This experiment used 315 unsexed Ross 308 chicks one day old. The chicks were randomly distributed into seven treatments, with three replicates per treatment, at a rate of 15 chicks for each replicate. The treatments were T1, which represents the control treatment without any addition, and T2 added 0.3% of Therapeutic Curcuma powder, while T3 added 0.6% of Therapeutic Curcuma powder). Moreover, T4 represents adding 0.9% of Therapeutic Curcuma powder, and T5 includes adding 1.2% of Therapeutic Curcuma powder. Finally, T6 was characterized by adding 1.5% of Therapeutic Curcuma powder, while T7 added 1.8% of Therapeutic Curcuma powder. The effect of using Therapeutic Curcuma powder in the above treatments showed that the use of Therapeutic Curcumapowder in broiler diets significantly increased (P<0.05) in the productive traits represented by body weight, weight gain, feed consumption, and feed conversion ratio. Moreover, it is possible to use Therapeutic Curcuma powder with a percentage of 0.9%, which improves the production traits.

Tuberculosis is one of the predominant infectious diseases causing significant deaths worldwide. Detection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis bacilli (MTB) using culture media was officially recognized by World Health Organization. However, there is a significant limitation in the authenticity of evaluation for its effectiveness on clinically important attributes. GeneXpert detects the presence of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M. tuberculosis) based on the detection of nucleic acid and is able to identify the resistance of both isoniazid (INH) and Rifampicin (RIF) drugs. In this technique, DNA amplification is done using the GeneXpert instrument in the suspected sample with a specific reagent cartridge. Although GeneXpert is a rapid technique compared to other diagnostic tools for MTB identification due to false-negative results, the culture media technique is still considered the gold standard in detecting M. tuberculosis. The current study was designed to evaluate the comparative efficacies of GeneXpert and the solid culture media technique in identifying MTB. Sputum samples of 250 (n=250) suspected tuberculosis (TB) patients were investigated using both diagnostic techniques. The results revealed that out of the 250 suspected patients, 30 (12%) samples were positive with the culture media technique, while only 17 (6.8%) samples showed positive results with GeneXpert. Culture tests and GeneXpert are not equally efficient in detecting M. tuberculosis. The current study's findings showed that the culture-based detection method for M. tuberculosis is more efficient and reliable than GeneXpert.

Mycoplasma ovipneumonea (M. ovipneumonea) are microorganism's causes atypical pneumonia in (sheep and goat). Mycoplasma is isolated frequently from pneumonic cases (lung, trachea, and nose) of sheep but can also be found in the respiratory tract of healthy sheep. This study aimed to isolate, identify, and pathological examination of M. ovipneumonea in sheep. Samples in the current study were collected from sheep of both sex and 6-10 months of age in Basrah slaughterhouse, suffering from respiratory signs associated with ocular, nasal discharge, and coughing. Nasal swabs were collected from the nose before slaughtering; other swabs were collected from the trachea and bifurcation of bronchus for bacterial isolation on PPLOs. Tissue specimens are frozen for DNA gene-based PCR analysis and for preparing paraffin blocks for histopathological examination. The bacterial cultures revealed isolates of Mycoplasma were positive on (PPLO) broth with agar from the morphological colonies of Mycoplasmaovipeumonea "fried egg" type colony morphology. PCR results revealed the 16S rRNA gene of Mycoplasma sp. The appearance revealed different stages of pulmonary changes like respiratory congestion, edema, and hemorrhagic spots on the surface of the lungs, and their air passages contained inflammatory exudate. The microscopic lesions represent acute fibrinous-suppurative broncho-interstitial pneumonia. M. ovipneumoniae was a prevalent respiratory infectious disease in Iraqi's sheep-Basrah province with frequent bacterial isolation, pneumonic pathological changes in animals suffer from different respiratory manifestations.

Carbimazole is a widespread drug utilized for treating hyperthyroidism. However, carbimazole usage could be associated with adverse effects such as liver damage and nephritis in rats. At the same time, turmeric, as a medical plant, has many antioxidant effects against liver and kidney toxicity. This study aimed to explore the protective effect of turmeric against carbimazole–induced toxicity in rats. The experiment was carried out on 24 male Wistar rats. They were separated into four groups, each with six animals, as follows: 1. Control group: represents a healthy animal, and each rat is only given standard food and distilled water for 30 days. 2. Carbimazole group: drenched orally 0.5 mg carbimazole daily for 30 days. 3. Turmeric group: drenched orally 100 mg turmeric powder daily for 30 days. 4. Carbimazole and turmeric group: drenched orally carbimazole 0.5 mg and turmeric 100 mg daily for 30 days. The study demonstrated a significant effect of turmeric powder in reducing the toxicity of carbimazole in both the kidney and liver biochemical parameters, in addition to the evidence of histological sections. Turmeric powder has the ability to reduce and prevent renal and hepatic toxicity induced by carbimazole overdose, which gives turmeric medical value.

The present study was conducted at the Poultry Research Center, Faculty of Agriculture; Sebha University, Libya. The feeding trial lasted 42 days in total. A local hatchery provided 240 unsexed one-day-old broiler chicks (Ross 308). The birds were randomly distributed into four groups, and each group was then divided into four replicates, with 15 birds in each group. The objective of the current study was to examine the impact of ginger powder as a natural feed supplement on broiler chickens' growth performance, hematological parameters, and serum lipids. Four dietary treatments were formulated and supplemented with ginger powder at levels 0%, 0.2%, 0.4% and 0.6%. The findings exhibited substantial differences in body weight and weight gain across the experimental groups. Birds fed ginger-enriched diets had higher feed conversion and lower feed intake than control birds (P<0.05). Birds fed a 0.6% ginger powder diet compared to the control group had considerably superior productive performance (P<0.05), while feed consumption was lowered. Dietary ginger powder supplementation improved hematological parameters; white blood cells, lymphocytes, heterophils, and the lymphocyte to heterophil ratio were improved with dietary ginger powder supplementation (P<0.05). Additionally, as compared to the control group, ginger powder groups significantly (P<0.05) lowered serum triglycerides, total cholesterol, and very low-density lipoprotein. While supplementation of dietary ginger powder significantly increased (P<0.05), the levels of high-density lipoprotein against the control group. In conclusion, ginger supplementation had a positive effect on the performance of chickens when supplemented on broiler ration and can be considered an alternative growth promoter in feeding broiler ration.

In recent years, a nanoparticle-based strategy has shown that non-denatured protein toxins can be used to enhance the appropriate immune response. Once the toxin reacts between the nanoparticles and the protein (toxin), it loses its toxicity because it does not attach to its ligand at the cell surface. The results of the nanoparticle and toxin complex show that the nanoparticles facilitate the internal release of the toxin. Clostridium perfringens beta toxin is produced by Clostridium perfringens type B and C, and diarrhea is the most important disease caused in newborn lambs. When beta toxin forms a complex with nanoparticles, the reaction between the toxin and the nanoparticle leads to the formation of a new form of nanoparticle in which the toxin loses its lethality due to its involvement; therefore, it becomes a toxoid. The nanoparticles used in this research are of poly lactic-co-glycolic acid (PLGA) type, one of the most developed biodegradable polymers. This study aimed to isolate and purify Clostridium perfringens beta toxin and produce its complex with PLGA nanoparticles to form a non-toxic structure. In this study, Clostridium perfringens beta toxin type B was isolated using ammonium sulfate precipitation and gel filtration chromatography. Toxin assay was performed in vivo (lethal dose [LD50]) and in vitro by sodium dodecyl sulphate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis at each stage, and the quantity of purified toxin was calculated to be 10 mg/ml. Afterward, the beta toxin antigen was used as the basis for the preparation of nanotoxoid candidates with nanoparticle formulation. Moreover, the PLGA polymer and water-oil-water methods were used to fabricate nanoparticles. Under optimal conditions, nanoparticles without antigen with an average size of 100 nm and zeta potential of -23.28 mV, as well as nanoparticles containing antigen with an average size of 120 nm and zeta potential of -18.2 mV, were prepared. When nanoparticles are injected into mice with the beta toxin, the toxin becomes a toxoid with no toxicity effects, and it cannot bind to its receptors and reveal its effects. In this study, the mice showed mild symptoms in one case, and none of them died. The beta and PLGA toxin model could also be applied as a candidate to study the release and immunization of the target animal. In order to achieve antigen regulation using natural polymers, it is recommended to conduct a comparative study between nanoparticles based on natural polymers.

Today, there has been a growing interest in synbiotic usage in the food industry to solve the problems related to food contaminations. The present study aimed to evaluate the antibacterial effects of nine symbiotic compounds on bacteria isolated from different meat types. Pathogenic bacteria were isolated from 60 different meat samples. Then, the antibacterial effects of nine synbiotic components were assessed against isolated bacteria using well diffusion and radial streak methods. In addition, minimum inhibitory and minimum bactericidal concentrations of each synbiotic formulation were determined. The highest antibacterial activity against Listeria monocytogenes and Staphylococcus aureus was for synbiotic compounds consisting of Streptococcus salivarius, raffinose, inulin, and trehalose, respectively. Furthermore, the highest antibacterial efficacies against Escherichia coli and Salmonella were for synbiotic formulations consisting of Bacillus cereus and inulin, raffinose, and trehalose, respectively. In conclusion, synbiotic formulations containing S. salivarius and B. cereus may be an alternative approach to preventing food-borne pathogens.

Obesity is among the major health problems; therefore, the present study aimed to investigate six-week aerobic training with green tea supplementation on some cardiovascular markers in young obese men. After measuring physiological markers, 57 overweight men in the age range of 28-35 years old were randomly divided into four groups:  aerobic exercise + green tea consumption (AE+GE; n=10), aerobic exercise (AE; n=10), green tea consumption (GE; n=10), control group (C; n=10) in which members of this group neither participated in aerobic exercise nor consumed green tea. Eighteen sessions of aerobic exercises were held over the six-week study period (three 45-minute training sessions per week). The variables were examined before the intervention and 48 hours after the last training session and tea consumption. Body Mass Index and fat percentage significantly decreased in AE+GE, AE, and GE groups (P=0.001 for all). Aerobic power significantly increased in AE+GE (P=0.001) and AE (P=0.001) groups. Systolic blood pressure significantly decreased in AE+GE (P=0.006) and AE (P=0.002) groups. Diastolic blood pressure significantly decreased in AE+GE (P=0.001) and AE (P=0.015) groups. Total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein decreased in AE+GE (P=0.001), AE (P=0.004, P=0.002) and GE groups (P=0.02; P=0.012). High-density lipoprotein significantly increased in AE+GE (P=0.001) and AE groups (P=0.04). Apelin levels decreased in AE+GE (P=0.001) and AE groups (P=0.001). Paraoxonase-1 significantly increased in AE+GE (P=0.001), AE (P=0,001), and GE (P=0.30) groups. Aerobic exercise and green tea consumption effectively controlled cardiovascular risk factors in obese or overweight people. However, combining aerobic exercise and green tea consumption led to better results.

The human papillomavirus (HPV) is a crucial but not the predominant cause of cervical cancer. This study aimed to identify HPV-16 L1 gene expression in human papillomavirus using a pap smear. A total of 120 serum samples, 60 samples were taken from infected females with papillomavirus and another 60 as healthy control. These samples were collected after pap smears were done. These women attended Al-Emam Hospital for delivery from March 1st, 2021, to February 28th, 2022. The levels of Pap-IgM and Pap-IgG were increasing among patients attacked by papilloma. The levels of viruses were higher than in levels than control groups, which was indicated by increases in the scores of mean and standard deviation (2.01±1.17, 0.11±0.02), (14.24±7.10, 0.4±0.17), respectively. Statistically, these differences between the levels of the studied groups were highly significant. The levels of the three markers Ca19.9, Ca125, and Ca15.3 were normal in levels among papilloma patients and the control group compared to the normal value of the three markers, which equaled N.V. (>37ng/ml). Statistically, these differences between the scores of the three markers, which were measured depending on mean and standard deviation, were highly significant. There is a low positive correlation between the levels of Pap-IgM (>1) with levels of Ca19.9 (>37) with (r=0.409**, P=0.000), while there is a moderate association between the levels of Pap-IgM (>1) with Ca125 (>35ng/ml) and Ca15.3 (>37ng/ml) levels with (r=0.574**, 0.565**, P=0.000, 0.000) respectively. Also, this table documents that there is a moderate positive correlation between the levels of Pap-IgG (>1) and the levels of the three tumor markers Ca19.9 (>37), Ca125 (>35), and Ca15.3 (>37) (r=0.521**, 0.592**, 0.647**). The HPV-16 L1 gene expression was investigated in patients infected with Papillomaviruses compared to healthy controls using real-time PCR. The results showed a high Ct value for patients and controls with a high Ct value of templates, preoperational to the gene concentration.

Ribwort plantain (Plantago lanceolata L.), which belongs to the Plantaginaceae family, has been widely used as a herbal plant in traditional medicine across the globe. The present study aimed to investigate the biologically active substances of P. lanceolata root fractions, as well as the cytotoxic and antibacterial activities of extracts. The cytotoxic activity of ethyl acetate, dichloromethane, and n-butanol extracts of P. lanceolata root was evaluated by MTT (3-[4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl]-2,5 diphenyl tetrazolium bromide) assay. The P.lanceolata root extracts were also evaluated on gram-positive and negative bacteria by disc diffusion and microtiter broth dilution methods. The phytochemical content was also examined by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. The P.lanceolata root extracts were cytotoxic; IC50 values against HCT-116 at 72 h were 168.553 μg/mL, 167.458 μg/mL, and 205.004 μg/mL for ethyl acetate, dichloromethane, and n-butanol root extracts, respectively. The dichloromethane extract of P. lanceolata root had the highest inhibitory effect against S. paratyphi (14.00±1.0 mm) at the concentration of 100 mg/mL. The minimum MIC and MBC (5 and 15 mg/mL) were observed for dichloromethane extract of P. lanceolata root against S. paratyphi. The main composition of ethyl acetate extract was 1,2-Benzenedicarboxylic acid and mono(2-ethylhexyl) ester (60.93%). The major compositions in dichloromethane and n-butanol extracts were 1,2-Benzenedicarboxylic acid, mono(2-ethylhexyl) ester (60.64%) and 2-Methyl-1-butanol (.+/-.)- (17.85%). As evidenced by the results of the present research, P. lanceolata extracts are a significant source of bioactive metabolites. Therefore, they can play a prominent role in the production of pharmaceutical materials.

Using microorganisms to make this nanomaterial is a new research technique. In a culture medium, Trichophyton rubrum was permitted to biosynthesis silver nanoparticles. This study used Trichophyton rubrum, a dermatophytes fungus, to make silver nanoparticles. These species' clinical strains were produced in a medium containing mineral salt and cultured for 5-7 days at 25°C. Each culture's cell-free filtrate was taken and used to make AgNps in the presence of 1 mM AgNO3. The reduction of Ag+ ions in metal nanoparticles was virtually studied by observing the colour of the solution, which changed to a reddish-light brown after 72 hours. SEM was used to establish the presence of AgNo3. The presence of AgNPs was confirmed by SEM, which revealed that they are primarily spherical and 100nm in size. Furthermore, the findings showed that silver nanoparticles have antifungal activity against both infections in a concentration-dependent manner. At (150 ppm) of AgNPs, the growth decreased.

Nutritionists focused on introducing minerals as additives to poultry feed to achieve good bioavailability and increase absorption of these additives. Therefore, the current study aimed to demonstrate the effect of injecting hatching eggs with zinc methionine on the characteristics of hatched chicks and growth index. The hatching eggs injection technique was applied to inject the hatching eggs with zinc-methionine to study the traits of hatched chicks and the growth index of broilers where 300 eggs were used from the broiler breeder, and the eggs were divided into four treatments; each treatment of 75 eggs injected with zinc-methionine and at concentrations (0, 60, 80, 100 ppm) for the treatments T1, T2, T3, T4 respectively, and the studied traits were taken when the chicks hatched. The recorded data in this study showed that there was no significant effect on inactivity, general situation, case of yolk retracted inside the abdomen, abnormal checks, wing length and leg length, and significant improvement (P≤0.05) to T4 treatment in appearance and feather condition, Eye's appearance and Leg appearance meanwhile significant improvement (P≤0.05) to T3 treatment in naval case, residual yolk membrane, residual yolk and checks length, significant improvement of all Zn-methionine injection treatments in hatch window and total incubation period, significant improvement (P≤0.05) to T2, T4 treatments in growth hormone level in hatching.

Intensive broiler production exposed the birds to several stressors, such as environmental factors, crowding and vaccination. However, when free radical is higher than physiological tolerance cause oxidative stress. This study aimed to investigate the effect of supplementing different levels of grape seed powder to a broiler diet on productive performance, lipid profile and bacterial count of the duodenum and cecum. A total of 180 unsexed one-day-old broiler chicks (Ross 308). Birds were randomly distributed to four dietary treatments (three replicates/treatment, 15 chicks/pen). T1: (control) without addition, T2, T3, and T4, (1, 2, 3) % grape seed powder /kg diet, respectively. Results indicated that final body (42 days of age) and accumulative weight gain, and feed conversion ratio were significantly (P<0.05) better in T2 and T3 (2 and 3) % grape seed powder/kg diet. Blood glucose concentration, cholesterol, Triglyceride, LDL, and MDA were significantly (P<0.05) decreased in T3 and T4 compared with other groups. While there were significant (P<0.05) increases in HDL and Glutathione peroxidase in T3 and T4. There was a significant (P<0.05) decrease in total aerobic bacteria and clone bacteria and a significant increase (P<0.05) in lactobacillus of duodenum and ceca for T3 and T4, respectively. It could be concluded from this study that adding grape seed powder at levels of (2 and 3) % has beneficial effects on productive performance, lipid profile and microbial count of duodenum and ceca.

The present study examined and reported Hepatocystis sp. infection in wild-caught vervet monkeys imported from Tanzania into the Razi vaccine and serum research institute (RVSRI). Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) targeting of 18S rRNA gene, followed by sequencing, Basic Local Alignment Search Tool (BLAST),   and phylogenetic studies revealed that 82.8% of the imported monkeys were infected with Hepatocystis. Nevertheless, as illustrated by a routine parasitological examination of blood smears and histopathological examination of liver collected samples, the rates of Hepatocystis infection were obtained at 33.9% and 38.1%, respectively. Two isolated 18S rRNA gene sequences of Hepatocystis sp. from Tanzanian vervet monkeys were registered under the accession numbers OM281567 and OM281564 in GenBank. Although Hepatocystis infections do not cause clinical disease, they may interfere with the research data. The results of the current study pointed out that after proper nutrition and implementation of good physical environmental conditions for 3-4 months, the imported monkeys obviously gained weight and most of their hematological parameters, even in the presence of the parasite, returned to the normal levels and the experimental monkeys would be ready for use in studies.

The high requirement of the broiler to protein in the diet needs more knowledge about protein quality, availability of amino acids, prices or cost, the minimum concentration of anti-nutritional factors (ANFs) and gastrointestinal tract (GIT) health. Azolla is a floating fern with high protein content, vitamins (Vit B12, Vit A, and growth promoters), essential amino acids, and minerals (phosphor, calcium, ferrous and potassium). Azolla can fix nitrogen from the atmosphere through the presence of blue-green algae (Anabaena azollae) in their leaves cavities. This study investigated the physiological and production effect of including different levels of Azolla in broiler feed. Four hundred broiler Ross chicks were randomly divided into four equal groups (n=100). The Control group received a regular diet without any supplementation. Animals in the treatment 1 group (T1) received 15% Azolla in their regular diet formulation, the treatment 2 group (T2) received 30% Azolla in their diet formulation, and the treatment 3 group (T3) received 45% Azolla. The animals had ad libitum access to food and water. Body weights and food conversion ratio (FCR) were monitored weekly, and blood samples were collected at the end of the experiment for assessment of lipid profile (cholesterol, triglyceride, HDL, LDL and VLDL), blood proteins (total protein and albumin) and activity of liver enzymes (GOT, GPT and ALP). The results showed an increasing body weight significantly (P≤0.5) in the T3 group compared with the control along with a significant decrease in FCR at an exact quantity of feed for each group (3 Kg). The results showed no change in physiological parameters (lipid profile, blood protein and liver enzymes activity) except for the levels of GOT, which decreased significantly (P≤0.5). In conclusion, the inclusion of Azolla at 15, 30 and 45% in broiler feed has a good effect on body weight and FCR, with no adverse effect on the normal physiology of broilers. Also, supplementation of Azolla can decrease production costs in the broiler industry by more than 30%.

It is estimated that more than 400 million people worldwide are suffering from diabetes. There are two types of diabetes. Type 1 diabetes is the result of insufficient insulin secretion into the bloodstream, most often due to an autoimmune attack on the pancreas glands.  Type 2 diabetes is caused by the inability of the surface ligands to adsorb the insulin from the bloodstream. The conventional medicines for diabetes mellitus include sulfonylureas, biguanide, thiazolidinediones, alpha-glucosidase inhibitors, and meglitinide. By February 2022, Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‑CoV‑2) had infected more than 391 million people worldwide, claiming 5.7 million lives and imposing heavy costs on the healthcare system. The present study aimed to assess the potential use of this non-structural SARS-CoV-2 protein in the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus. The nsp10 was structurally aligned with GoDrugBank therapeutic agents, and lixisenatide was found to have the most similar chemical structure. This drug is a glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP1) receptor agonist used for the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus. The best molecular docking energy score for these two proteins was -301.47, and the ligand root mean square deviation was calculated to be 107.93 Å. The molecular dynamics for the stability of the nsp10 and GLP1R binding in triplicate for 150 ns demonstrated that the nsp10-GLP1R remained bound for more than 80 ns. This study indicated that the nsp10 protein can be further studied to be used as an antidiabetic medication.

Diabetic foot infection has become one of the most important public health concerns and is a growing problem. Pseudomonas aeruginosa is an important opportunistic multidrug-resistant bacterium in diabetic foot infections. In the absence of antibiotics active against MDR strains of P. aeruginosa, phage therapy becomes a key way to deal with P. aeruginosa infections. Out of 185 samples collected from diabetic foot ulcers, 50 (27.02%) isolates were identified as P. aeruginosa. The incidence increases with older ages, and males (n=34, 68%) predominated in all age groups. The tested isolates showed maximum susceptibility towards colistin (80%), imipenem (72%), amikacin (66%), and piperacillin/tazobactam (62%), while these isolates showed moderate susceptibility towards ceftazidime (58%), cefepime (52%) and gentamicin (46%). However, it showed complete resistance (100%) to ampicillin, cefaclor, and sulphamethoxazole/trimethoprim and highly resistance to clindamycin (90%) and amoxicillin/clavulanic acid (84%). Two bacteriophages (ϕPAE1 and ϕPAE2) isolated from sewage samples showed a broad host range against P. aeruginosaa clinical strains. ϕPAE2 infected 74% (37/50) and ϕPAE2 58% (29/50). Furthermore, both phages were host-specific, infecting only P. aeruginosa strains and could not infect other bacterial species in the cross-infectivity studies. Both phages were found to be relatively heat stable as over a period of 1 h, after exposure to a temperature range of 37–50°C, no significant loss in phage activity was observed. On the other hand, the lowest activity was observed at 70°C (39.15%) for ϕPAE1 whereas it was inactivated at 75°C while the lowest activity was observed at 75°C (38.01%) for ϕPAE2 whereas it was inactivated at 80°C. Isolated phages were able to survive and lyse host bacteria over a wide pH range. The optimum pH range for infection was from 6 to 8. Furthermore, ϕPAE1 lost its ability to lyses at pH 2, 3, 11 and 12, whereas; ϕPAE2 lost its infectivity at pH 2, 3 and 12. Chloroform was the most effective solvent that reduced the infectivity of ϕPAE1 and ϕPAE2 to 63.27% and 77.88%, respectively. On the other hand, petroleum ether showed the lowest effect on the infectivity of ϕPAE1 and ϕPAE2; it was reduced to 96.4% and 97.48%, respectively, followed by acetone and ethyl alcohol. The ability of P. aeruginosa phages to form plaques after different storage temperatures (4°C, 30°C, 37°C and 44°C) for a month was slightly affected. The storage of ϕPAE1 and ϕPAE2 at 4ºC showed the least effect on its infectivity, and the storage at 44ºC showed the highest reduction in its infectivity. Moreover, Phage counts were slightly decreased by increasing storage period and temperature.

Entamoebahistolytica is a protozoan, an anaerobic intestinal parasite that causes about 50 million infections and a mortality rate of more than 100,000 worldwide. For diagnosis, two hundred samples of children with diarrhea signs were evaluated using staining and polymerase chain reaction techniques. The current study recorded 11 positive cases of E. histolytica, which were diagnosed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) out of a total of 51 positive cases diagnosed microscopically for pediatric children arriving at Tikrit General Hospital in Tikrit city and the nearby areas. The percentage of positive cases reached 21.57% for the PCR assay, as significant differences appeared compared to the microscopic examination. The results showed that the parasite infection rates differed between males (54.9%) and females (45.1%). The percentage of infected numbers in the age group less than one year was about 43.1%, while the percentage of disease control and prevention programs f infected people in the age group 1-2 years was (31.4%). The results showed that the percentage of infected age group between (2-3) years was 15.7%. The recorded data showed that 5.9% and 3.9% of the participants were infected in the age group of3-4 and over four years old, respectively. The genes encoded in Cysteine proteinase five and Phospholipase were diagnosed using the PCR technique. The concordance with the current study isolate and 90% match globally. In conclusion, the methods of detection of E. histolytica appeared differences in positive results for this parasite.

Canine parvovirus infection is the most highly infectious in dogs younger than six months. Our study aimed to design and optimize an In-house PCR Assay for Rapid Detection of parvovirus type 2 and compares it with REAL-TIME PCR and LAMP Assay and phylogenetic analysis. The virulence gene selected for the categories was vp2 for CPV-2. PCR products were cloned in pTZ57R/T plasmid for preparation of positive control. Determination of the specificity of primers was done with the negative control virus genomes, and the limit of detection was determined for the Homemade PCR, REAL-TIME PCR, LAMP, and to perform a phylogenetic study using partial vp2 gene sequences. Added analysis of PCR products using agarose gel electrophoresis for the vp2 gene showed 485bp, and GAPDH 900 bp bands, respective amplification using negative control genomes as template was negative. The least detectable copy number for the vp2 gene in a 25 µl PCR reaction equals 19 copies by homemade PCR, LAMP, and REAL-TIME PCR 25 and 21 copies, respectively. The phylogenetic analysis for the five field sequences formed three distinct clusters. The in-house PCR has advantages such as high specificity, sensitivity, and the ability to detect major CPV-2 pathogens. This assay may replace the previous laboratory methods and work as an essential supplement to the more time-consuming assays. Phylogenetic analysis is necessary for epidemiological studies to control and prevent disease.

Due to the increased resistance to antibiotics and chemical biocides, the use of bacterial exopolysaccharides has been considered. The objective of the current study was to investigate the strength of the antibacterial and antibiofilm activity of EPS extracted from Lactobacillus reuteri and Streptococcus mitis because previous studies showed there were structural differences between EPS, during this study, EPS extracted from Lactobacillus reuteri and Streptococcus miti by ethanol precipitation method and estimated antibacterial and antibiofilm activity against several Oral Bacteria (Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus hominis, Acinetobacter baumannii, Raoultella ornithinolytica, Streptococcus thoraltensis in different concentration as (100,150,200,250,300 mg/ml ), the results showed carbohydrates rate in extracted  EPS from L. reuteri  and S. mitis were recorded was 85, 80 % respectively.The concentration 100 and 150 mg/ml for EPS from L. reuteri  and S. mitis, there was no inhibitory effect, except in S. aureus (1.1±0.10)  and S. hominis (1.0±0.10) at 100 mg/ml, 3.1±2.01, 2.1±0.54 mg/ml respectively at 150 mg/ml concentration but no significant differences (P≤0.05). However, the antibacterial effect of that EPSs started at the concentration of 200 and upwards, where different results were recorded between the concentrations of both EPSs against all bacteria isolated (P≤0.05), On the other hand, the effect of EPS from L. reuteri  and S. mitis was clear against the formation of biofilm compared with the control, worth mentioning that EPS from L. reuteri was more effective compared with EPS from S. mitis in all isolates (P≤0.05) except for S. thoraltensis where it was noted that the EPS from S. mitis is more effective than EPS from L. reuteri. Through the results obtained in this study, it was noted that the difference in the structural nature of EPS has an important role in its effectiveness as an antibacterial and anti-biofilm formation and, as it was found that the EPS from L. reuteri showed more effectiveness than EPS from S. mitis and thus the mechanism of preventing and inhibiting bacteria depending of the structural nature of EPS.

Leishmaniasis is one of the major health problems in most countries of the world. Millions of people around the world are at risk for the disease. Given the prevalence of this parasite in Iran and developing countries and the emergence of resistance in some cases to existing drugs, developing an effective vaccine against leishmaniasis is necessary. This research aims to design a multi-epitope vaccine derived from LACK, LeIF, GP63, and SMT antigens of Leishmania major based on the combination of bioinformatics methods. The synthesized construct with 16.86 KDa was cloned and sub-cloned in pEGFP- N1 and pLEXSY-neo2, respectively. They were then transfected in promastigotes of L. tarentolae. After confirmation of expression, immunization was carried out in 8 groups of BALB/c mice (9 mice per group) three times at two-week intervals. Cellular immune responses were assessed before and after the challenge by L. major. Furthermore, at 3rd week post-infection, the survival rate, mean lesion size, and parasite burden were assessed. All vaccinated mice demonstrated partial immunity to higher IFN-γ levels than the control groups (P<0.05). Immunized mice with cytosolic complex (G1) indicated the highest levels of IFN-ɤ and ratio of IFN ɤ/ IL-4, the lowest levels of IL-4 and IL-10 compared to control and the other groups (P≤0.05), and produced a partial Th1 immune response. Mean lesion size and parasite burden of G1 and G5 reduced significantly compared to the other and control groups post-challenge (P<0.05). The outputs of our result could be a hopeful sign in the achievement of practical approaches as multi-epitope vaccines against Leishmania major.

Proteus mirabilis belongs to the family Enterobacteriaceae and is capable of transforming in shape from rod to elongated and swarming motility by flagella. It is an opportunity for bacteria and can cause different clinical diseases. Therefore, this study aimed to assay and detect a sequence of genes that encode for antibiotic resistance in multidrug resistance clinical isolates of Proteus mirabilis, including blaTEM, aac(6’)-Ib, qnrA, IntI2, IntI1 and secondly to investigate the relationship in the phylogenetic tree among these genes in Iraq comparison with global strains in NCBI. The study included the identifying of 500 clinical samples depending on morphological and biochemical tests and confirming Proteus mirabilis diagnosis by the VITEK-2 Compact system. The confirmed isolates of Proteus mirabilis were 95 clinical isolates (19%). Antibiotic susceptibility test of all these isolates was done using twelve antibiotics tested using Amoxicillin, Aztreonam, Imipenem, Cefoxitin, Amikacin, Ceftazidem, Ciprofloxacin, Nalidixic acid, Gentamicin, Sulphamethazol-trimethoprim, Cefotaxime, Amoxicillin-clavulanic acid. The results showed that multidrug resistance Proteus mirabilis isolates contained the genes in different levels as follow blaTEM gene (90%), aac(6’)-Ib  gene (80%) ,IntI1 gene (100%), IntI2 gene (80%). These genes were sequenced and detected phylogenetic relationships among these genes and global genes were documented in NCBI. The results showed that some Iraqi isolates contain genetic variation compared to global strains. Therefore, this variation was detected and registered in NCBI of all five antibiotic resistance genes mentioned above and accepted under accession numbers of aacIb gene (LC613168.1), blaTEM gene (LC613166.1), IntI1 gene (LC613169.1), IntI2 gene (LC613170.1).

Ascites syndrome occurs in growing broiler chickens in all parts of the world, which is one of the important causes of losses in many flocks, and its prevalence has been seen mostly in meat herds. The most important factor in the occurrence of ascites syndrome is the lack of oxygen in body tissues (hypoxia). Increasing the growth rate requires increasing the volume of blood flowing in the body to deliver nutrients to the organs and expel gases and metabolic products. Therefore, this experiment was conducted to compare the effect of peppermint extract and probiotics on the biochemical factors of the blood of chickens caused by ascites. The treatments were divided into 8 groups of 7 male chickens with 3 repetitions in each group at 21 days. The experimental treatments included control and treatments of peppermint, probiotic, peppermint and probiotic, induced ascites, induced ascites and peppermint, induced ascites and probiotics, induced ascites and peppermint and probiotics. At the end of 42 days, the blood factors of uric acid, triglyceride, glucose, cholesterol, ALT, ALP, and AST were measured by blood sampling. The experimental treatments significantly affected the investigated traits (P<0.05). Considering that in the treatment of induced ascites+ peppermint compared to the treatment of induced ascites, weight gain was significant, and in the blood factors of cholesterol, triglyceride, uric acid, glucose, and functional liver enzymes including ALT, AST, ALP recorded a significant decrease. Therefore, the effectiveness of peppermint extract in improving induced ascites in chickens was determined. Peppermint extract had a positive effect on induced ascites and improved the performance indicators of broiler chickens, and this extract can be used as a preventive of ascites.

The current study was designed to investigate the clinical management of deconditioned patients. In the current study, we investigate the clinical manifestations of deconditioned patients. A subacute functional deficiency was determined when getting up from a supine position and developing tachycardia with an increase in heart rate by 30 or more per minute for 10 minutes. This study included 172 elderly patients aged 65 to 74 years. The average age of the patients was 69.2+2.2 years. There were 102 men and 70 women in the study. These patients were registered at the dispensary with the therapists of outpatient clinics after an infectious disease. Within 6 months after the treatment, a comprehensive geriatric assessment of patients was performed. All patients were divided into four groups depending on the indicators of motor activity, which in the framework of this study was the criterion of the adaptive function of the body and viability. Patients with normal motor activity indicators did not have the decondition and were designated as a control group. Patients with the decondition did not have normal indicators of motor activity. The obtained results were processed statistically. According to the results of our study, it was noted that the assessment of the six months after the treatment showed heterogeneity of patients from a functional point of view with a homogeneous somatic structure. Six months after the treatment, out of 172 people, 45 people (26.2%) had normal motor activity indicators (39-40 points); according to the questionnaire "Assessment of motor activity in the elderly", the average score was 39.6+0.2; 42 people (24.4%) had mild motor activity disorders (34-38 points), the average score was 36.1+0.4; moderate disorders (21-33 points) were registered in 47 people (27.3%), the average score was 27.9+2.1; significant motor activity disorders (0-20 points) occurred in 38 people (22.1%), the average score was 13.2+1.4. The fall syndrome was characteristic of those patients with the decondition who demonstrated moderate and significant motor activity disorders 6 months after the treatment. In particular, in people with significant motor activity disorders, there was a decrease in muscle strength in the lower extremities by 48.3+3.2% and in the upper extremities – by 27.1+3.1% (P<0.05). As a result of the presence of the decondition, an unfavorable cascade of geriatric syndromes is formed in the form of an increase in the level of situational anxiety from 21.9-24.8 to 58.4-75.3 points on the Spielberger-Hanin scale, a deterioration in morale with an increase in the severity of depression from 5.8-6.0 to 11.0-14.9 points, a decrease in the quality of sleep on the ten-point visual analog scale from 8.3-8.4 to 5.2-5.7 points on the Beck scale, an increase in the proportion of patients at risk of developing malnutrition syndrome from 4.8-6.7% to 46.8-68.4%, the development of the fall syndrome, which, in turn,, it is a predictor of the development of dinapenia in the form of a decrease in the strength of the upper extremities by 22.7-27.1%, a decrease in the strength of the lower extremities by 29.6-49.6%, with a faster rate of decrease in the strength of the lower extremities compared to the upper extremities by 1.8 times, which, accordingly, reduces the rehabilitation potential. Clinical manifestations of the decondition in elderly patients were such geriatric syndromes as anxiety, depression, cognitive decline, sleep disorders, hypomobility, dinapenia, risk of developing malnutrition syndrome and falls syndrome.

The nasal passage is the primary entry point for many infectious agents. Therefore, nasal vaccines that can overcome the limitations associated with antigen uptake are likely to play an important role in protecting these infectious agents. Thus, adjuvants and antigen-carrying systems that can induce a suitable mucosal and systemic immune response against their accompanying antigens are highly important. In this study, synthetic oligodeoxynucleotides containing CpG motifs (CpG-ODN) accompanied by the recombinant ectodomain of influenza M2 protein were encapsulated in N-trimethyl chitosan (TMC) nanoparticles. After the preparation of TMC nanoparticles, the morphological characteristics and loading efficiency and in vitro antigen release, as well as their ability to induce efficient immune responses against M2e in intranasal inoculation in the mouse model, were studied. Based on the size and zeta potential of the nanoparticles prepared in this study, it was determined that they were all nanosized, and their positive zeta potential ranged from 25 to 28 mV, while their polydispersity index was between 0.1 to 0.2, indicating a narrow range of particle sizes. A significant increase in serum levels of the total M2e-specific IgG antibody and BALF anti-M2e IgA was observed in mice intranasally immunized with M2e/CpG-ODN/TMC as opposed to those that were intranasally immunized with M2e/TMC, M2e/CpG-ODN, free M2e, and CpG-ODN/TMC. There was also a significant change in the IgG2a/IgG1 ratio in favour of IgG2a seems that CpG-ODN is responsible for directing the immune system towards Th1. Our findings show that CpG-ODN can significantly enhance the mucosal and systemic humoral immune response against M2e when encapsulated in a suitable carrier such as TMC for intranasal administration. In conclusion, when combined with a suitable carrier, CpG-ODN can be considered an effective adjuvant for mucosal administration.

The article is devoted to studying the features of the formation of communities of microorganisms, adapting to the conditions of existence in various types of agrophytocenoses. The study was carried out on model weed plant species, the most common in agrophytocenoses of the Belgorod region. Two nutrient media were prepared for microbiological examination: nutrient agar (BPA - the number of mesophilic aerobic and facultative anaerobic microorganisms) and ENDO - an elective medium for CB (Escherichia coli bacteria). It was found that up to 80% of the total numbers of epiphytes are Erwinia herbicola (Pseudomonas herbicola) cells. The most common among the epiphytic bacteria of terrestrial higher weeds are traditional representatives of cosmopolitan bacteria such as Pseudomonas fluorescens, Ps. furbicolaaurum, Ps. putida, Pantoea agglomerans, Arthrobacter flavescens, A. album, Lactobacillus Plantarum, Васillus subtilis, В. megaterium, Klebsiella rosea, Agrobacterium.

The Kushum breed is one of the top breeds in the structure of horse breeds in the Aktobe region. In terms of numbers, it ranks third after the Kazakh and Mugalzhar breeds. The Kushum breed in the Aktobe region compares favorably with a number of horse-draft factory breeds in terms of early maturity, fertility, high meat, milk productivity, and economy of keeping. This article describes a new intra-breed type, the “Mamyr-Aktobe” type of the Kushum horse breed of the Aktobe population. The structure of the intra-breed type of Mamyr-Aktobe of the Kushum breed includes three factory lines of stallions: 118 Krepysh 33-64, 116 Grom 98-58, and 137 Samotsvet 77-73 tested in 2010 and 2015 (Samotsvet) and patents No. 187,186 and No. 586were obtained for them. Adult stallions of a new intra-breed type are characterized by high measurements and live weight: 159.7-165.3-202.5-21.0 cm and 626.5 kg and massiveness - 153.8 and exceed the breed standard in live weight by 126.5 kg or by 25.3%, according to the massiveness index by 31.8%, and mares, respectively: 155.2-159.1-187.8-19.8 cm and 531.0 kg and massiveness - 165.2 and also exceed the breed standard in terms of live weight by 71.0 kg or 15.4% and terms of massiveness index by 7.9%.

The trend towards an increase in ethanol production on a global scale and the tightening of restrictive measures regarding the disposal of by-products from production increases the relevance of research in finding ways to process them. This study aimed to assess the effectiveness of a feed additive containing dried stillage fermented with pre-immobilized cultures of Lactobacillus pontis 67, Lb. casei 22, Lb. paracasei 104 when finishing steers. The dose of inoculum (3.0%) of a liquid probiotic drug based on the consortium Lb. pontis 67, Lb. casei 22, Lb. paracasei 104 was determined, cultivation time 24-30 hours at a bacterial titer of 10-10 CFU/ml, and the characteristics of fermented stillage and a feed additive based on it were established. Studies were conducted to assess the effectiveness of finishing when using fermented wheat stillage on the qualitative characteristics of the carcass of 13-month-old Kazakh white-headed steers on finishing. The studies were conducted in 2 groups: control and experimental (13% fermented stillage). The experimental group showed higher indicators of average daily gain (Р˂0.05), carcass weight, and slaughter yield (P˂0.05). According to the results of the conducted research, it can be concluded that the replacement of protein components of compound feed with stillage in an amount of 10% and a probiotic drug based on the bacteria Lb. pontis 67, Lb. casei 22, Lb. paracasei 104 in an amount of 3.0% contributes to an increase in weight gain when finishing steers by 9.1±0.3 kg, average daily gain by 417±2.0 g, and slaughter yield by 3.1±0.2% compared with the control group (P˂0.05).

Asthma (ASTH) is a chronic inflammatory disease that affects the lung airway and leads to occasional breathing difficulties. Previous studies have presented links between allergic rhinitis (AR) and ASTH. Recently, it was suggested that SIRT1, a NAD-dependent class III histone deacetylase protein, was involved in the pathogenesis of ASTH. However, the protective roles of SRIT1 in ASTH are still unclear. This study aimed to investigate the role of SRIT1 in the inflammatory response in ASTH and AR. The study involved 30 patients with ASTH, 40 patients with AR, 40 ASTH with AR, and 30 healthy subjects as control. A 5 ml blood sample was taken from all the participants. 1 ml was used for complete blood count (CBC) and Neutrophils/lymphocytes ratio analysis. Serum was separated from other 4 ml of blood by centrifugation for SRIT1 and exotoxin (CCL11) assays analyzed by ELISA. Nasal fluids (0.5 ml) were also collected from all patient groups and controlled to measure SRIT1 and CCL11 by ELISA. The results showed a significant increase in eosinophil counts and Neutrophils/ lymphocytes ratio (N/L) in ASTH with the AR group compared to other patient groups and control (P<0.05). High SIRT1 and CCL11 levels were observed in serum and nasal patient groups compared to control (P<0.05). These findings may go some way towards explaining the numerous roles of SRIT1 in patients with ASTH. SIRT1 may regulate CCL11 levels after that, affecting ASTH pathogenesis. SRIT 1 in nasal secretion is a new biological characteristic of pulmonary airway diseases.

Elevated Interleukin-13 (IL-13) may play an important role in the pathophysiology of COVID-19, yet, the attenuated response did not notice across all severe cases. Susceptibility to asthma in specific populations is associated with several SNPs of multifunctional cytokines, such as IL-13, IL-31 and IL-33. This prospective case-control study is designed to investigate the extent of genetic susceptibility in subsets of Iraqi patients with COVID-19 by targeting the variants of interleukin IL-13rs20541 polymorphism in relation to disease susceptibility and severity of clinical presentation. One hundred samples were obtained from the throat, nasopharyngeal and nasal swabs enrolled in this study. Eighty samples of the throat, nasopharyngeal and nasal localization swabs were obtained from patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) (both COVID-19 and non-COVID19 patients), while other 20 nasopharyngeal swabs were included as a healthy control group (AHC). Detection of IL-13rs20541 polymorphism was done by ARMS technique. The frequencies of GG- genotype in ARDS- patients with COVID-19, non-COVID19-, and AHC groups were respectively 14%, 12% and 3%, where, and as compared to the control group, showed a significant increase in COVID-19 patients. The AA- genotype in patients with COVID-19 group, non- COVID-19 group and healthy control group documented the frequency of 9%, 7%, and 14%, respectively, where the frequency decreased in the patient's groups as compared to the AHC group. Finally, and among the studied groups, an increase of AG- genotype (as rate OR=1.89) was documented compared to genotype GG and A-. Genetic polymorphisms in the IL-13rs20541 gene might influence its functions in patients with SARS-associated respiratory tract infection and thus might involve the pathogenicity of patients with COVID-19.

Colorectal cancer is ranked to have high mortality among most malignancies worldwide. In the adult population, the seroprevalence rates of the John Cunningham virus (JCV) range from 70% to 90%. Recently the association for JCV in many malignant tumours have been reported worldwide, including colonic and rectum cancers. Interleukin-1β (IL-1β) can promote tumour growth where it is abundant in the tumour microenvironment, and its up-regulation is considered a poor prognostic feature in different types of solid tumours, including colon malignancies. One hundred tissue biopsies belonged to 50 patients with colorectal cancers and 30 benign colonic tumour patients, and 20 colorectal control tissues were enrolled in this study. JCV was detected via chromogenic in situ hybridization (CISH), while IL-1 beta was detected by immunohistochemistry (IHC). The recorded data showed that 21 out of 50 (42%) tissue samples with colorectal carcinoma showed positive CISH reactions for JCV DNA in this study. The benign colorectal tumours group revealed positive signals in 2 out of 30 tissues representing 6.7% of this group. Lastly, no control tissues showed positive signals for the JCV -CISH test. The positive signals of IL-1 Beta-IHC detection were found in 26 out of 50 (52 %) colorectal carcinoma tissues, while in the benign colorectal tumour was 43.3% (13 out of 30) and in AHC was 20% (4 out of 20 tissues). The high rates of JCV infection in this group of Iraqi patients with colonic adenocarcinoma in concordance with IL-1 Beta expression could play an essential role in the development and progression of these malignant tumours along with benign colonic tumours. To analyze the concordant expression of IL-1 beta gene and JCV in issues from a group of Iraqi patients with colonic adenocarcinomas.

Lupinine is an elementary representative of a large quinolizidine alkaloid group. Referring to a pharmacological action, lupinin has the bactericidal and low sedative effects. It also possesses the short-term anthelmintic and hypotensive properties. The curent research aimed to investigate synthesis methods and study of the hemorological, antimicrobial and cytotoxic activities of lupinine quinolizine alkaloid. The chemical modifications of lupinine molecules were performed with introduction of 1,2,3-triazole substituents for the hydroxymethylene group at C-1 position of quinolizine skeleton. Structure of the obtained compounds was determined by 1Н and 13С NMR spectroscopy. The various correlation approaches of 1H–1H (COSY) and 1H–13C (HMBC and HSQC) spectroscopy were used for it. The evaluation results of the hemorheological, antimicrobial and cytotoxic activities of the obtained (1S,9aR)-1Н-1,2,3-triazol-1-yl)methyl)octahydro-1H-quinolizine derivatives were demonstrated. Some compounds were identified and they are able to affect deformability of red blood cells and aggregation properties of blood. Patterns of the antimicrobial and cytotoxic activities depending on the structural features of the synthesized compounds were determined.

Milk and cheese were recognized as highly nutritious food due to their high protein, fat and minerals (calcium, phosphorus, iron, and vitamins). Accidental contamination of food through the handlers could have resulted in many kinds of bacteria especially Staphylococcus aureus in the dairy products. Therefore, this study aimed to study variation in bacterial isolation percentage and the bacterial counts in raw milk and locally produced soft cheese in local markets in Baghdad. A total of 150 samples of raw milk and local soft cheese (75 for each) were collected from different regions of Baghdad city from October 2020 to July 2021 to study the evaluation of bacterial contamination. The isolation percentage of total coliform, Fecal coliform, Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus in the raw milk were 82, 69, 54 and 42%, respectively. While in the soft cheese, the isolation percentage for coliform, Fecal coliform, Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus were 90, 74, 60 and 45%, respectively. Furthermore, high percentages of bacterial isolation were recorded during summer. The recorded data showed significant (P<0.05) variation for both raw and soft cheese according to months, and soft cheese had a higher isolation percentage than the raw milk samples. The average values of bacterial count values that were isolated from October to February in the raw milk of the total coliform, fecal coliform, E. coli and Staph aureus were 5.57, 4.25, 3.77 and 2.94 cfulog10/mL respectively, which were recorded during the cold months. While the recording of the average values from March to July as hot months were 6.02, 5.02, 5.22 and 3.23 CFU log10/mL, respectively. The average bacterial values in the soft cheese were 6.02, 5.03, 4.97 and 3.67cfu log10 /g, respectively, from October to February and were significantly (P<0.05) less than the summer from March to July, which recorded 7.17, 6.32, 5.01 and 4.15cfu log10/g respectively. The high contamination found in the soft cheese and during hot months compared with raw milk and cold months, respectively, is a sign of unsanitary manufacturing conditions such as post-process contamination, high temperature in summer, and lack of refrigeration during long-distance transportation.

Rams play an important role in reproductive efficiency because each ram or semen contains half of the genetic material of its descendants. In Iraq, the Awassi sheep are the most common indigenous breed, highly adaptable to tough environmental conditions. The present study was carried out to evaluate testicular biometry and spermatozoa recovered after the slaughter at different ages in Awassi rams. A total of thirty-three pairs (n=66 testes) of Awassi rams testicles were collected after the slaughter at the abattoir in Baghdad and divided into three groups according to age. Rams less than a year old were grouped as G1, rams aged one to two years were grouped as group G2, and rams older than two years as group G3. There were significant differences (P˂0.05) in testicular weight, length, width, and diameter in both right and left increased steadily in group G1 to reach a maximum in group G3. The epididymal weight and length (right and left) were significant (P<0.05) in group G3. The spermatozoa concentration obtained from the left testicle increased significantly (P˂0.05) in groups G2 and G3 compared to group G1, while the right spermatozoa concentration increased significantly (P˂0.05) in group G3 when compared to group G1. In conclusion, it can be concluded that the biometry of testicular and epididymal (right and left) in this study was influenced by progressing age, and the spermatozoa concentration obtained from the left testicle was higher active than the right one in adult Awassi rams.

Metformin is the approved medication for managing global health issues concerning type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Using natural bioactive compounds as an alternative therapy is crucial to managing several metabolic diseases. Therefore, due to recent limited studies that detected the role of bee venom (BV) in improving diabetic conditions in Iraq, the current study was designed to identify the potential therapeutic role of BV and metformin in diabetic mice. Twenty male mice (Balb/c) aged about 60 days with an average weight of 26.55±2.70 g were randomly divided into four groups (n=5). The animals were placed in plastic cages for acclimatization for one week of access to food and water ad libitum. Overnight fasting was applied to 15 mice which were then injected with 95 mg/kg body weight of prepared alloxan. The mice were supplemented with glucose fluid for 3 days. On day 4, the blood was collected from the tail to measure the circulating glucose level. When blood glucose levels exceed 200 mg/dl, the animals are considered diabetic. After induction of diabetes, the animals were divided as follows: Control group: included five mice that were not subjected to diabetes induction; the animals in this group did not receive any medications. Diabetic group: including five mice confirmed with diabetes without receiving any treatments. Metformin group: including five diabetic mice exposed to a single oral dose of 150 mg/kg of metformin for 30 days. Bee Venom group: including five diabetic mice exposed to a single intraperitoneal dose of 1 mg/kg Bee Venom for 30 days. After 30 days of treatment, blood was drained, and serum was obtained to detect the levels of glucose, insulin, TNFα, IL6, and IL10 by using precise enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELIZA) kits. Also, the pancreas was collected from all mice for histopathological investigation. The result displayed significantly elevated glucose concentration in diabetic mice, while metformin and BV significantly reversed these increases. A significant decline in insulin concentration was seen in diabetic mice, whereas metformin and BV significantly enhanced this reduction in insulin concentration. Furthermore, mice treated with alloxan exhibited remarkable increases in TNFα and IL6 compared to control mice, while supplemented metformin and BV significantly reduced these high concentrations. Moreover, the level of IL10 markedly declined in diabetic mice, which was reversed significantly in response to metformin and BV. Histological detection of the pancreas in diabetic mice showed significant changes in the shape and size of islets associated with the arrangement and number of beta cells with a reduction of islets covering connective tissue. Metformin slightly restored these alterations; however, significant and remarkable restoring of histological changing was promoted by BV. Thus, BV could be a potential agent for managing metabolic disorders including diabetes.

To the best of our knowledge, this is the first Iraqi study to detect C. felis in cattle by the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay and to confirm the local isolates in the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI). Overall, 130 diarrheic calves of different ages and sexes were selected randomly from rural and sub-urban areas in Wasit province (Iraq) from February to April (2021) and subjected to direct collection of fresh fecal samples for DNA extraction and PCR examination. Targeting the heat shock protein 70 (HSP70) gene of C. felis showed that 17.69% of the animals were positive. Findings from clinical examination revealed no significant differences in values of temperature, pulse, or respiratory rates between the positive and negative calves. The association between the positive results and demographic risk factors showed no significant differences in the prevalence rate of infection and risk of exposure to C. felis between the rural and sub-urban areas; however, higher significant values were reported in calves aged 6 months than in calves aged 12 months, as well as in females than in males. Five of the local C. felis isolates were documented under the accession numbers MZ964600.1, MZ964601.1, MZ964602.1, MZ964603.1, and MZ964604.1. Finally, the data presented here provide epidemiological and molecular evidence that the range of C. felis in cattle is wider than expected globally, with a high probability of infection transmission from cattle to humans.

This experiment was conducted in the poultry field of the College of Agriculture, University of Diyala, and the Biochemistry Laboratory in the Department of Animal Production to show the effect of using tartaric and salicylic acids on the chemical composition of eggs produced by Lohman chickens raised at high temperatures, in which 210 laying hens of brown Lohman strain were used. Sixty weeks were divided into seven treatments: T1, the control treatment, T2 and T3, in which 0.2% of tartaric and salicylic acid were added to drinking water, respectively, and T4 added to it a mixture of organic acids at a rate of 0.4% to the drinking water, and treatments T5 and T6 were added. It contained 0.2% of tartaric and salicylic acid to the ration, respectively, and T7 was added to the ration of 0.4% of the two organic acids to the diet formulation. At the age of 75 weeks, eggs were taken randomly from the treatments and at a rate of 5 eggs/treatment to know the effect of the treatments on the chemical composition of the eggs produced, and the results of the statistical analysis showed It is proved in Appendix 1 that there was no significant effect (P≥0.05) of the different treatments on the studied traits, which included the percentage of moisture, protein, fat, carbohydrates and ash in each of the whites and yolks. The present study showed that adding tartaric and salicylic acids to water and feed did not significantly affect the quality of eggs produced from Lohman chickens.

Parasitic infections are one of the main problems in sheep breeding farms. For this reason, in order to control the damage caused by parasitic infections, a wide range of antiparasitic drugs with different forms are used. A particular area is important due to contamination with radioactive substances and its effect on the immune system of livestock in the area. Therefore, the aim of the present study was the effectiveness of antiparasitic drugs in sheep farms in Kazakhstan. In the current study, 3 groups of lambs were evaluated; each one included 30 infected lambs of 5 to 6 months with Strongyloides and Eimeria spp. and treated with antiparasitic compounds in two forms of tablets (Albendazole, Pyrantel, Ivermectin, Phenasal) and mineral-salt cube (Albenvet, Trimeratinvet). The result of the study showed that began 10, 20, and 30 days after experimentation, the mineral-salt cube significantly reduced the number of helminths and Eimeria spp. in sheep (92.18%) (P≤0.05). Ant antiparasitic drugs in livestock diet are essential in reducing contamination and its effects on the herd.

The increased levels of blood glucose associated with genetic and/or environmental risk factors have been known as Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2D). T2D is categorized as a dangerous clinical syndrome for global public health. It has been well-documented that several candidate genes are functionally associated with T2D. One of the candidate genes linked to T2D is named Angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2). Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the relationship between ACE2 gene polymorphism and the development of T2D in Iraq. This study includes 150 participants (100) T2D patients and 50 healthy participants as a control group. Through the analysis of the recorded data, 78% were nonsmokers, while the rest were smokers. The current study found 61% of T2D patients suffer from hypertension (P-value=0.028). In this study, 80% of patients have the GG genotype. However, 26% have the GA genotype without a significant difference between patients and the control group (OR=0.78). Mutations in the ACE2 gene were recorded in the gene bank with accession numbers LC656363, LC656364, LC656365, LC656366, LC656367 and LC656368. The current study showed a relationship between mutations and polymorphisms in the ACE2 gene and type 2 diabetes mellitus. The polymorphisms, deletion and insertion mutations had an important role in the pathophysiology of type 2 diabetes mellitus. The study recorded some mutations in the Clinical Variation website at NCBI's National Center for Biotechnology Information. The current study showed a relationship between smoking and the risk of developing type 2 diabetes. The current study's findings indicated that mutations affecting the three encoded genes could directly cause impaired insulin production in people with type 2 diabetes.

Chlamydia abortus is one of the most common infectious and zoonotic bacteria, which causes abortion in different ruminants as well as other animals and humans. For the first time in Iraq, the current study aimed to identify the prevalence of C. abortus in cattle using the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). A total of 276 venous blood samples were collected from November (2021) to January (2022), subjected to obtaining sera that ELISA tested. Infection severity and estimation of the relationship between serum positivity and risk factors (including age, sex and region) were evaluated. An overall 17.03% of samples were being positive for C. abortus, which classified as mild (63.83%), moderate (25.53%) and severe (10.64%) infections with OD values of 0.3271±0.0085, 0.527±0.0139 and 0.7084±0.0256, respectively. The association of positivity to risk factors revealed that there was significant variation in their values as follows: for age, significant increases in prevalence and risk factors were detected in cattle aged < 3 years when compared to 3-6 and > 6 years; whereas, for sex, significant increases were found in females more than males. For the region, significant higher and lower prevalence and risk exposure to were reported in Al-Hai and Al-Kut, respectively. The association of mild, moderate and severe infections to risk factors showed that moderate infection was elevated significantly in cattle of <3 years, while the mild infection increased significantly in cattle aged 3-6 and >6 years with the absence of severe infection in both last age groups. In females and males and all study regions, mild infection appeared more significantly than moderate and severe infections (P<0.05). The present study was the first serological detection of C. abortus in cattle in Wasit province (Iraq); furthermore, studies are necessary to estimate the prevalence of C. abortus in cattle and other field animals.

Brain insult caused by cerebral ischemia/reperfusion is a complex pathophysiological process in which inflammatory reaction is thought to play a crucial part. Toll-like receptors are a sort of transmembrane proteins that can initiate inflammatory reactions upon identifying either endogenous stress or changes in the innate immune system's molecular patterns that are damage-associated or even exogenous pathogen-associated molecular patterns. TLR2, amongst all other Toll-like receptors, is recognized to have a more vital role in the pathologic progress of brain insult attributed to ischemia/reperfusion. The current study aimed to address the impact of TLR2 overexpression on the severity of acute ischemic stroke. A case-control study was piloted on two groups of participants; the first group (cases) was 95 patients suffering from acute ischemic stroke, while the second one (controls) was 50 volunteers free of disease. Matching controls to patients was done according to age (within five years) and gender. The study extended from the beginning of February to the end of August 2020. Participants in both groups were collected from Merjan Medical city in Babylon Governorate. Values of Toll-like receptor 5 were calculated with the real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) technique. Statistically, a significant difference was found between the patients and controls concerning the values of TLR2 (P-value=0.008). Other measured parameters, which are age, gender, and history of hypertension and diabetes, showed no significant differences between the study groups. Overexpressed TLR2possesses a positive impact on increasing the severity of acute ischemic stroke.

Biopolymers, particularly exopolysaccharides produced by microorganisms such as bacteria, yeasts, and algae, have gained popularity in recent years due to their physical, chemical, and functional properties that are widely useful in food, industrial, cosmetic, and pharmaceutical systems. Hyaluronic acid is one type of these polysaccharide. This study investigated the optimal conditions for producing hyaluronic acid from the Streptococcus thermophilus bacterial strain. The isolated Streptococcus thermophilus were cultured on MRS broth, Skim milk, and M17 broth with an addition of 1% lactose. The diagnosed bacterial strains were grown in 100 ml of culture media, placed in volumetric flasks of 250 ml capacity, and incubated at 42˚C for 24 hours, pH 6.8, inoculum volume 1%, and a vibrating incubator at 150 rpm. After the end of the fermentation period, the isolation and purification of HA have performed accordingly: proteins were removed using 1% trichloroacetic acid (TCA), and HA in the supernatant was collected by isopropanol precipitation. The collected HA was dialyzed against ultrapure water and lyophilized. The amount of acid produced was estimated. The results show that the best production of hyaluronic acid was from the S. thermophilus bacterial strain grown on the alternative medium containing whey at a ratio of 450 ml/L and7.5 g/L yeast extract at 40 ˚C, with a 3% of inoculum volume and 102×108 colony-forming units/ml of bacterial cells, in pH 6.8 and agitation speed of 150 rpm for 18 h, which had the most significant effect on the fermentation process and gave the highest value of HA production of 0.598 g/L and biomass of 6.08 g/L. These results showed the best production method for HA to achieve maximal production yelled.

Colorectal cancer (C.R.C.) is the commonest malignancy in the gastrointestinal tract and is the fourth leading reason behind cancer-associated death in the world. It usually begins with the non-cancerous proliferation of mucosal epithelial cells. These growths are polyps and might grow gradually for 10–20 years before becoming cancerous. This study was designed to investigate the epidemiology of the diagnosed cases of colorectal cancer from 2015 to 2021 in Baghdad. A total of 60 cases of different colorectal cancer samples were collected from Medical City Teaching Hospital, Baghdad, and private labs. Clinical information was also collected, including patients' age, tumor size, gender and location, pathological grade, and stage. Results revealed a high incidence of C.R.C. in patients aged 60-90 years for the rate of 40.3%, with a high frequency in the left colon of 59.6%. The dominant tumor size was 5cm in malignant cases, and a high incidence of C.R.C. was seen in the female by 52.0%. While the most frequent tumor stage was stage I.I.A., with a rate of 59.6%, and moderately differentiated was the foremost one with 67.3% (P≤0.05). The most common type of C.R.C. in Iraq is adenocarcinoma, which occurs in patients older than 60years and presented at the I.I.A. stage of disease with moderate tumor grade. Early disease detection and diagnosis are effective in its control and treatment.

The novel coronavirus (COVID-19) produced severe acute respiratory coronavirus syndrome (SARS-CoV-2; formerly known as 2019-nCoV) and has mild to fatal symptoms. This study aimed to investigate the different blood markers in confirmed positive COVID-19 individuals and see how they associated with the severity of the condition. A cross-sectional study was conducted from September 2020 to March 2021 on seventy-six (20 female and 56 male) Iraqi patients unvaccinated against COVID-19. The mean age of the study subjects was (47.00±13.31; 43.86±14.27) for males and females, respectively. 68.42% of the cases with mild illness, 14.47% with moderate illness, and 17.10% were severely ill. The severity of COVID-19 was assessed by several hematological parameters, including white blood cell (WBC) count, derived indicators such as neutrophils to lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and IL6, C-reactive protein (CRP), D-dimer, and S-ferritin. The results showed that lymphocyte count was lower in severely ill patients compared to patients with mild and moderate symptoms, with a significant difference between the three groups (2.274.83). Additionally, the NLR results showed a significant rise (11.56±1.23) in severe COVID-19. The results of the present study indicated that serum levels of IL6, CRP, and S-ferritin revealed significant differences (41.20±6.23 pg/ml), (50.66±12.55 mg/l), and (454.60±95.69 ng/ml) at (P≤0.05) in sever ill compared with mild and moderately ill patients respectively. The results indicated a highly significant positive correlation between IL6 and severity of COVID-19 infection at P<0.01. Furthermore, a positive connection is seen in Neutrophil, CRP, and NLR (0.229, 0.264, and 0.277) at (P≤0.05) respectively.

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is the primary cause of nosocomial and animal, community-acquired infections. S. aureus is a common inhabitant of the upper respiratory tract. Molecular typing methods are vital for investigations of MRSA. The MRSA has significantly increased in Iraq. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of this bacteria and know the distribution of Spa type among antibiotics-resistant local isolates from different sources. A total of 150 samples were collected from three different sources: humans, animals and the environment. Among all these samples, 55 MRSA isolates were determined using the phenotypic method and the mecA gene. Antibiotic resistance profiles were screened using the disc diffusion method. Whereas Spa types were identified by using PCR technique and nucleotide sequencing analysis. The MRSA presence rates were 67.5%, 80 %, and 31.3% in bovine, human, and environmental sources, respectively. The highest sensitivity of MRSA was to vancomycin, and the lowest was to penicillin. Multi-drug resistance was found to be in all isolates. Molecular investigation showed that 100% of the tested MRSA isolates harboured a Spa gene; Spa gene typing assay reveals that the most repetitive spa type was t304, t8986, and t14870, which were reported in humans and animals, followed by type t 304 t14870 in environmental isolates. This study's findings could help identify the genetic variants responsible for the emergence and spread of these bacteria in the region.

Ehrlichia canis is a pathogen considered a disease in both dogs and breeders, a tropical and non-tropical disease caused by an intracellular pathogen. For the first time, the study aimed at hematological and molecular detection and phylogenetic analysis of Erlchcia canis in dogs in Baghdad, Iraq. Two hundred dogs were clinically examined from April to September 2019 at the Veterinary Hospital in Baghdad. Blood samples with EDTA tubes were used for microscopic examination, complete blood count (CBC) and polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The study's results revealed that the infection rate was 3.5% when analyzed using microscopic or molecular methods. Ataxia, posterior recumbency, and occasionally vision problems were identified as the clinical characteristics that were distinguished in this study. The hematological values showed no significant differences between infected and uninfected dogs (P<0.05). However, the study did show that infected dogs had neutrophilia and monocytosis. Four samples were sent to the sequencers, and NCBI accession numbers were assigned to two isolates of the Ehrlichia canis 16s rRNA gene (MN227483.1 and MN227484.1). This study showed that 99% of the isolates matched those found in other countries. The study concluded that microscopic examination is not the best method for diagnosing Ehrlichia in dogs because it requires the ability to differentiate microscopically between intracellular inclusion bodies and the included morula of Ehrlichia and may produce incorrect results. Instead, molecular tests are used to confirm an Ehrlichia diagnosis.