International Journal of Enteric Pathogens
Volume:11 Issue: 1, Feb 2023

Trichomoniasis caused by Trichomonas vaginalis is considered one of the most important worldwide non-viral sexually transmitted infections. The remaining clinical symptoms of the disease after treatment with metronidazole confirm the presence of metronidazole-resistant strains.

Therefore, the present study aimed to investigate the inhibitory effect of the extract of the root and leaf of the Sophora alopecuroides plant on the growth and inhibition of the growth of T. vaginalis parasite.

Aqueous and alcoholic extracts of S. alopecuroides plant roots and leaves with concentrations of 0.5, 1, 2, 4, and 5 mg/mL, as well as metronidazole were exposed to 105 parasites and mouse macrophage cells in 24 and 48 hours. To determine the toxicity of the extract on the cells, mice peritoneal cells were used for the 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5- diphenyl-2H-tetrazolium bromide test. The half-maximal inhibitory concentration and 50% cytotoxic concentration values were evaluated by PRISM GraphPad software, and analysis of variance and t test were employed for statistical comparisons by SPSS-23.

The aqueous-alkaline compounds of the root of the S. alopecuroides plant demonstrated a promising effect on inhibiting parasite growth, but the therapeutic index of the aqueous extract of its leaves was less effective than the rest of the extracts and metronidazole. After 24 hours, at a concentration of 2.5%, the aqueous extract of the root had the most effect with 69.4%, and the aqueous extract of the leaf had the least effect with 34.68% of growth inhibition. However, none of the extracts had a greater inhibitory effect than metronidazole, but after 48 hours, the effect of the extract caused more inhibition due to time.

Overall, the aqueous and alcoholic extracts of the leaves and roots of the S. alopecuroides plant had suitable anti-trichomonas effects. In addition, the aqueous leaf extract had a good effect with the least toxicity. Considering that this research was performed for the first time, to generalize the results, extensive research is needed in in vivo conditions.

Blastocystis sp. is a widespread gastrointestinal inhabitant in human fecal samples that may present with diarrhea, vomiting, stomachache, and even irritating bowel syndrome (IBS). The probable association between Blastocystis infection and IBS has been the focus of many recent studies.

The current study investigated the frequency, associated risk factors, clinical symptoms, and subtypes of Blastocystis sp. among IBS and control individuals.

In total, 202 stool samples (101 IBS patients and 101 control group) were collected upon giving consent. In addition, a questionnaire was completed by individuals, including demographic information. Fecal examination was performed using the direct microscopic, culture (DMEM), and molecular method.

The mean±standard deviation for the age of the involved subjects was 40.86±15.36 and 38.89±15.57 in the case and control groups, respectively. Further, among IBS patients and the control group, 53 (52.48%) and 50 (49.51%) were males and 48 (47.52%) and 51 (50.49%) were females, respectively. There was no statistically significant difference between the two groups in terms of age and gender (P>0.05). In this study, 35 (17.32%), 68 (33.66%), and 62 (30.69%) using direct, culture, and molecular methods, respectively, were positive regarding Blastocystis sp., and no statistically significant difference was observed in this regard (P>0.05). Based on molecular findings, subtypes 1 (21.28%) and 3 (6.93%) were the most common in both groups, which did not demonstrate a statistical significance (P>0.05).

In general, although the predominant subtype in the IBS group is subtype 1, this difference between the case and control groups was not statistically significant. Specific subtypes of Blastocystis have only been associated with gut dysbiosis. The accurate diagnosis of this parasite, especially at the phenotypic and genotypic levels, along with its correlation with the gut microbiota, should be considered in future studies on IBS patients.

Blastocystis is a common protozoan parasite found in the human intestinal tract and is associated with several gastrointestinal symptoms as well as inflammatory conditions in the bowel. Probiotics are groups of beneficial microorganisms with a substantial impact on overall human health.

This study aimed to investigate the growth inhibitory effects of Lactobacillus acidophilus, Lactobacillus reuteri, and Bifidobacterium bifidum on Blastocystis subtypes (ST) 1 and 3 through the evaluation of expression changes in toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) in Caco2 cell culture.

The parasite and Caco2 cells were cultured and maintained, and the supernatant of bacteria was prepared. The viability of parasites and cell cultures exposed to supernatants was measured separately by 3-(4,5-dimethyl-2-thiazolyl)-2,5-diphenyl-2H-tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay, in comparison with metronidazole. In addition, TLR4 expression changes in cell cultures and co-cultures exposed to the supernatants were measured using real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR).

The mean viability of Caco2 cells exposed to the highest and lowest (100 vs. 10 µg/mL) concentrations of supernatants was in a similar range. The survival of Blastocystis ST1 and ST3 exposed to the 15, 25, and 35 µg/mL of probiotics supernatants significantly decreased during 24, 48, and 72 hours. Although not statistically significant, the findings indicated a decrease in TLR4 expression in Caco2 cells and an increase in gene expression in co-cultures exposed to the probiotic supernatants (15, 25, and 35 µg/mL).

This novel therapeutic field of study using probiotics compounds deserves further exploration to find unprecedented therapies against Blastocystis infection.

Calf diarrhea is an important issue in cattle farms. Although rotavirus A is the primary viral agent causing calf diarrhea, infectious causatives of diarrhea remain unknown in many cases. Bovine kobuviruses are almost newly detected enteric viruses that have not been studied extensively. There is no information about the epidemiology and prevalence of kobuvirus and its importance in calf diarrhea in Iran.

The molecular epidemiology and phylogeny of kobuviruses were investigated in one-month-old diarrheic calves, and rotavirus A was simultaneously surveyed to find the outbreak rate of the co-infection of both viruses in diarrhea.

This study investigated 200 fecal diarrheic samples obtained from one-month-old calves using reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) methods. Samples were collected from rural and industrial cattle farms located in 7 provinces of Iran. The 3D domain of the RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) enzyme of three positive samples from Mazandaran, Fars, and Isfahan provinces was subjected to the phylogenetic study.

It was found that 27 specimens are positive for kobuvirus. Although the frequency of rotavirus A detection was 24% (48 out of 200), co-infection was observed in 5 samples. Moreover, phylogenetic analysis showed a low relationship between the sequenced samples, indicating that the circulating bovine kobuviruses originated from different ancestors.

The results showed that bovine kobuvirus with different phylogenetic origins is highly prevalent in cattle farms in Iran. Regarding the low rate of co-infection with rotavirus A, bovine kobuviruses should be considered an important enteric viral agent in calf diarrhea.

In the ever-evolving landscape of cancer treatment, innovative approaches utilizing biomaterials have made remarkable strides. Among these, metal biomaterials have emerged as promising tools in the fight against cancer. The treatment of colorectal cancer, the second most prevalent cancer, faces challenges due to the presence of confounding variables in the colorectal environment and the lack of effective drug delivery. The use of both types of metallic and non-metallic biomaterials has had extremely hopeful consequences in a variety of cancer therapy approaches. The most used biomaterials in the treatment of cancers have been in the form of nanoparticles or nanocylinders, which are used alone or in combination with anticancer drugs. Hence, the present review tried to provide a snapshot of the applications of biomaterials in cancers with an emphasis on colorectal cancer.

Probiotics are alive and beneficial microorganisms that affect the body’s microbial flora when consumed by humans or animals and have beneficial effects on the health of the host. Nowadays, probiotics are considered a factor in the prevention of many infectious diseases and cancers. Given the particular importance of probiotics, this study aimed to narratively review previous studies on the mode of action of probiotics and the beneficial effects of probiotics on enhancing intestinal immune responses. Articles on this topic were searched in Google Scholar, Springer, Science Direct, and Clinical Trial databases, and systematic review articles examining the effects of probiotics on the function of the intestinal immune response were included in the study. The results of the research showed that probiotics can boost the body’s immune system, break down food due to their ability to produce enzymes, lower the pH of the environment, and secrete bacteriocins. Furthermore, the effect of probiotics on the modulation mechanisms of the innate defense responses of the intestinal epithelium, including the stimulation of trefoil factor 3, induction of antimicrobial peptide (AMP) secretion, stimulation of secretory immunoglobulin production, and stimulation of toll-like receptors increase in heat shock protein production, modulation of P-glycoprotein (P-gp) and regulation of mucins by probiotics. Therefore, probiotics are expected to be used as an adjunct treatment for many digestive and infectious diseases.