Suppressive Effect of Coffee Leaves on Lipid Digestion and Absorption In Vitro.

Background: Coffee leaves are a major source of bioactive components and are used as ethnomedicine. However, despite their traditional medicinal use, information about their effects on antihyperlipidemia remains limited.

Methods: The aims of this study were to evaluate the main components of leaf extracts from Arabica and Robusta coffees and to examine the potential of these coffee leaves in reducing lipid digestion and absorption in vitro.

Protection against Fasciola gigantica infection in mice by vaccination with recombinant juvenile-specific cathepsin L.

Fasciola gigantica cathepsin L1H (FgCatL1H) is one of the major cathepsin L released by juveniles of F. gigantica to aid in the invasion of host's tissues. Due to its high sequence similarity with other cathepsin L (CatL) isoforms of late stage F.

Monoclonal antibody against recombinant Fasciola gigantica cathepsin L1H could detect juvenile and adult cathepsin Ls of Fasciola gigantica.

Cathepsin Ls (CatLs), the major cysteine protease secreted by Fasciola spp., are important for parasite digestion and tissue invasion. Fasciola gigantica cathepsin L1H (FgCatL1H) is the isotype expressed in the early stages for migration and invasion.

The in vitro anthelmintic effects of plumbagin on newly excysted and 4-weeks-old juvenile parasites of Fasciola gigantica.

The effect of plumbagin (PB, 5-hydroxy-2-methyl-1,4-naphthoquinone) against newly excysted juveniles (NEJs) and 4-weeks-old immature parasites of Fasciola gigantica were compared with triclabendazole (TCZ). The anthelmintic efficacy of 1, 10 and 100μg/ml of PB or TCZ following incubation in vitro for 1-24h was compared using a combination of relative motility (RM), survival index (SI) and larval migration inhibition (LMI) assays for parasite viability. The RM and SI values of the PB-treated group decreased at a more rapid rate than the TCZ-treated group.

Vaccine potential of recombinant saposin-like protein 2 against Fasciolosis gigantica in mice.

Saposin-like protein 2 (SAP-2) is a protein that adult of Fasciola spp. use to lyse plasma membrane of red blood cells, so that their contents can be digested by proteases for the parasites' nutrients. Thus SAP-2 is a plausible target for vaccination against these parasites.

Immunization with recombinant leucine aminopeptidase showed protection against Fasciola gigantica in mice.

Leucine aminopeptidase (LAP) is expressed in all stages of Fasciola gigantica and, hence, is considered as a potential vaccine candidate. In this study, we have tested a vaccine potential of LAP and the types of immune responses it elicited in vaccinated mice. Recombinant F.

Molecular cloning, characterization and functional analysis of a novel juvenile-specific cathepsin L of Fasciola gigantica.

Cathepsin L proteases are a major class of endopeptidases expressed at a high level in Fasciola parasites. Several isoforms of cathepsin L were detected and they may perform different functions during the parasite development. In this study, a complete cDNA encoding a cathepsin L protease was cloned from a newly excysted juvenile (NEJ) cDNA library of Fasciola gigantica and named FgCatL1H.

Fasciola gigantica: histology of the digestive tract and the expression of cathepsin L.

The digestive tract of Fasciola gigantica is composed of the oral sucker, buccal tube, pharynx, esophagus, and caecum. The tegumental-type epithelium lines the first four parts of the digestive tract while the caecal-type epithelium lines the remaining parts from the caecal bifurcation. The caecal-epithelial cells are classified into 3 types according to their staining properties and ultrastructural characteristics, as related to the amount of food contents in the caecal lumen.