Secretagogin (scgn), is a novel hexa EF-hand, phylogenetically conserved calcium-binding protein. It serves as Ca sensor and participates in Ca -signaling and neuroendocrine regulation in mammals. However, its relevance in the brain of non-mammalian vertebrates has largely remained unexplored.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMosquito borne diseases are on the rise because of their fast spread worldwide and the lack of effective treatments. Here we are focusing on the development of a novel anti-malarial and virucidal agent with biocidal effects also on its vectors. We have synthesized a new quinoline (4,7-dichloroquinoline) derivative which showed significant larvicidal and pupicidal properties against a malarial and a dengue vector and a lethal toxicity ranging from 4.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMany human parasites and pathogens have closely related counterparts among non-human primates. For example, non-human primates harbour several species of malaria causing parasites of the genus Plasmodium. Studies suggest that for a better understanding of the origin and evolution of human malaria parasites it is important to know the diversity and evolutionary relationships of these parasites in non-human primates.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFWe tested 3 ild Asian elephants (Elephas maximus) in southern India and confirmed infection in 3 animals with Mycobacterium tuberculosis, an obligate human pathogen, by PCR and genetic sequencing. Our results indicate that tuberculosis may be spilling over from humans (reverse zoonosis) and emerging in wild elephants.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFA main challenge in parasitology is the development of reliable tools to prevent or treat mosquito-borne diseases. We investigated the toxicity of magnetic nanoparticles (MNP) produced by Magnetospirillum gryphiswaldense (strain MSR-1) on chloroquine-resistant (CQ-r) and sensitive (CQ-s) Plasmodium falciparum, dengue virus (DEN-2), and two of their main vectors, Anopheles stephensi and Aedes aegypti, respectively. MNP were studied by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Plant synthesized silver nanoparticles give rapid control on mosquito larvae of dengue vector, Aedes albopictus. AgNPs synthesized from the plant, Argemone mexicana for the control of larvae and these nanoparticles inhibit the growth of microbes are broad spectrum of nanoparticle activities.
Methods: Nanoparticles were subjected to analysis by UV-vis spectrophotometry, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy.
Vet Parasitol Reg Stud Reports
September 2016
The present communication deals with the detection and characterization of deltamethrin resistance in tick populations using biological (larval packet test), biochemical (esterase enzyme assay) and molecular assays. Ticks were collected from cattle farms of Korutla, Telangana (KOR), Mehboob Nagar, Telangana (MBN), Nagpur, Maharashtra (NAG), Parbani, Maharashtra (PBN), Madhavaram, Tamil Nadu (MAD), Cuddalore, Tamil Nadu (CUD), Sakhleshpur, Karnataka (SAK) and Buvenduvella, Karnataka (BUV). Out of eight field isolates, seven were identified as Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus while one isolate (CUD) was identified as R.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMosquitoes are insects of huge public health importance, since they act as vectors for important pathogens and parasites. Here, we focused on the possibility of using the neem cake in the fight against mosquito vectors. The neem cake chemical composition significantly changes among producers, as evidenced by our HPTLC (High performance thin layer chromatography) analyses of different marketed products.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMosquitoes are arthropods of huge medical and veterinary relevance, since they vector pathogens and parasites of public health importance, including malaria, dengue and Zika virus. Currently, nanotechnology is considered a potential eco-friendly approach in mosquito control research. We proposed a novel method of biofabrication of silver nanoparticles (AgNP) using chitosan (Ch) from crab shells.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFRes Vet Sci
June 2016
Malaria transmission is a serious emergence in urban and semiurban areas worldwide, becoming a major international public health concern. Malaria is transmitted through the bites of Anopheles mosquitoes. The extensive employ of synthetic pesticides leads to negative effects on human health and the environment.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe development of parasites and pathogens resistant to synthetic drugs highlighted the needing of novel, eco-friendly and effective control approaches. Recently, metal nanoparticles have been proposed as highly effective tools towards cancer cells and Plasmodium parasites. In this study, we synthesized silver nanoparticles (EW-AgNP) using Eudrilus eugeniae earthworms as reducing and stabilizing agents.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEnviron Sci Pollut Res Int
April 2016
Mosquito-borne diseases represent a deadly threat for millions of people worldwide. According to recent estimates, about 3.2 billion people, almost half of the world's population, are at risk of malaria.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMosquito-borne diseases represent a deadly threat for millions of people worldwide. The Culex genus, with special reference to Culex quinquefasciatus, comprises the most common vectors of filariasis across urban and semi-urban areas of Asia. In recent years, important efforts have been conducted to propose green-synthesized nanoparticles as a valuable alternative to synthetic insecticides.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFParasitol Res
March 2016
Mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae) serve as important vectors for a wide number of parasites and pathogens of huge medical and veterinary importance. Aedes aegypti is a primary dengue vector in tropical and subtropical urban areas. There is an urgent need to develop eco-friendly mosquitocides.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAedes albopictus is an important arbovirus vector, including dengue. Currently, there is no specific treatment for dengue. Its prevention solely depends on effective vector control measures.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEnviron Sci Pollut Res Int
December 2015
Mosquito-borne diseases represent a deadly threat for millions of people worldwide. However, the use of synthetic insecticides to control Culicidae may lead to high operational costs and adverse non-target effects. Plant-borne compounds have been proposed for rapid extracellular synthesis of mosquitocidal nanoparticles.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMalaria, the most widespread mosquito-borne disease, affects 350-500 million people each year. Eco-friendly control tools against malaria vectors are urgently needed. This research proposed a novel method of plant-mediated synthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNP) using a cheap seaweed extract of Ulva lactuca, acting as a reducing and capping agent.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFParasitol Res
October 2015
Each year, mosquito-borne diseases infect nearly 700 million people, resulting to more than 1 million deaths. In this study, we evaluated the larvicidal, pupicidal, and smoke toxicity of Senna occidentalis and Ocimum basilicum leaf extracts against the malaria vector Anopheles stephensi. Furthermore, the antiplasmodial activity of plant extracts was evaluated against chloroquine (CQ)-resistant (CQ-r) and CQ-sensitive (CQ-s) strains of Plasmodium falciparum.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFParasitol Res
October 2015
Aedes aegypti is a primary vector of dengue and chikungunya. The use of synthetic insecticides to control Aedes populations often leads to high operational costs and adverse non-target effects. Botanical extracts have been proposed for rapid extracellular synthesis of mosquitocidal nanoparticles, but their impact against predators of mosquito larvae has not been well studied.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFDengue is an arthropod-borne viral infection mainly vectored through the bite of Aedes mosquitoes. Recently, its transmission has strongly increased in urban and semi-urban areas of tropical and sub-tropical regions worldwide, becoming a major international public health concern. There is no specific treatment for dengue.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe objectives of the present study were to characterize the MC1R gene, its transcripts and the single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associated with coat color in alpaca. Full length cDNA amplification revealed the presence of two transcripts, named as F1 and F2, differing only in the length of their 5'-terminal untranslated region (UTR) sequences and presenting a color specific expression. Whereas the F1 transcript was common to white and colored (black and brown) alpaca phenotypes, the shorter F2 transcript was specific to white alpaca.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMosquitoes are vectors of devastating pathogens and parasites, causing millions of deaths every year. Dengue is a mosquito-borne viral infection found in tropical and subtropical regions around the world. Recently, transmission has strongly increased in urban and semiurban areas, becoming a major international public health concern.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF