Effects of (Piperales: Piperaceae) Essential Oil and Its Main Component Dillapiole on Detoxifying Enzymes and Acetylcholinesterase Activity of (Acari: Ixodidae).

is a species of tick in the family Ixodidae, with equids and capybaras among its preferred hosts. In this study, the acaricidal activity of the essential oil (EO) from and its main component, Dillapiole, were evaluated against larvae of to establish lethal concentration values and assess the effects of these compounds on tick enzymes. Dillapiole exhibited slightly greater activity (LC = 3.

The common bed bug Cimex lectularius synthesizes hemozoin as an essential defense against the toxic effects of heme.

The common bed bug Cimex lectularius (Linnaeus 1758) is an ectoparasite that feeds preferably on human blood, being considered an important public health issue. Blood-feeding is a challenging process for hematophagous organisms, and one of the inherent risks with this kind of diet is the liberation of high doses of free heme after the digestion of hemoglobin. In order to deal with this potent cytotoxic agent, such organisms have acquired different defense mechanisms.

The Sand Fly Salivary Protein Lufaxin Inhibits the Early Steps of the Alternative Pathway of Complement by Direct Binding to the Proconvertase C3b-B.

Saliva of the blood feeding sand fly was previously shown to inhibit the alternative pathway (AP) of the complement system. Here, we have identified Lufaxin, a protein component in saliva, as the inhibitor of the AP. Lufaxin inhibited the deposition of C3b, Bb, Properdin, C5b, and C9b on agarose-coated plates in a dose-dependent manner.

A new methodology for sampling blackflies for the entomological surveillance of onchocerciasis in Brazil.

The effectiveness of the MosqTent® trap was evaluated in endemic area to onchocerciasis in Brazil. This study seeks to provide subsidies for the monitoring of the onchocerciasis transmission in the country. The study was carried out at the Homoxi and Thirei villages, located in the Yanomami Indigenous Land, in the state of Roraima.

Inhibition of the classical pathway of the complement system by saliva of Amblyomma cajennense (Acari: Ixodidae).

Inhibition of the complement system during and after haematophagy is of utmost importance for tick success in feeding and tick development. The role of such inhibition is to minimise damage to the intestinal epithelium as well as avoiding inflammation and opsonisation of salivary molecules at the bite site. Despite its importance, the salivary anti-complement activity has been characterised only in species belonging to the Ixodes ricinus complex which saliva is able to inhibit the alternative and lectin pathways.

Midgut pH profile and protein digestion in the larvae of Lutzomyia longipalpis (Diptera: Psychodidae).

The sand fly Lutzomyia longipalpis is the vector of Leishmania infantum, the etiological agent of American visceral leishmaniasis. Despite its importance, until now the internal anatomy of the immature forms has never been described and little is known about their digestive processes. In nature, sand fly larvae feed on organic detritus in the soil, constantly ingesting large amounts of material.