Antiviral activity of sulfated polysaccharides from Sargassum ilicifolium against fish Betanodavirus infection

Sulfated polysaccharides (SP) from seaweeds exhibit numerous biological activities and are less toxic than conventional antiviral drugs. However, little is known about their mode of action. This study aims at extracting the polysaccharides from brown seaweed Sargassum ilicifolium and then evaluating its antiviral activity against fish Betanodavirus. The extracted SP was characterized through FT-IR, ¹H NMR, and thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA). The antiviral activity of SP was tested on SGA cell line by syncytia reduction and the polysaccharide represented a prominent antiviral activity to Betanodavirus by reducing the cytopathic effect (CPE) formation in vitro. The study revealed that SP effectively blocked viral attachment and entry. Moreover, during the in vivo challenge experiment in Gambusia affinis, SP treatment showed a significant decrease in the viral titers. Hence, these results indicate that the polysaccharides obtained from S. ilicifolium exhibited the high antiviral potential to Betanodavirus infection in fishes both in vitro and in vivo.

     

Effect of feeding a high‐carbohydrate or a high‐fat diet on subsequent food intake and blood concentration of satiety‐related hormones in dogs

Although studies in rodents and humans have evidenced a weaker effect of fat in comparison to carbohydrates on the suppression of food intake, very few studies have been carried out in this field in dogs. This study investigates the effects of a high‐carbohydrate (HC ) and a high‐fat (HF ) diets on subsequent food intake and blood satiety‐related hormones in dogs. Diets differed mainly in their starch (442 vs. 271 g/kg dry matter) and fat (99.3 vs. 214 g/kg dry matter) contents. Twelve Beagle dogs received the experimental diets at maintenance energy requirements in two experimental periods, following a cross‐over arrangement. In week 7 of each period, blood concentrations of active ghrelin, glucagon‐like peptide (GLP ‐1), peptide YY , insulin, and glucose were determined before and at 30, 60, 120, 180, and 360 min post‐feeding. The following week, intake of a challenge food offered 180 min after the HC and HF diets was recorded over two days. In comparison to the dogs on the HC diet, those on the HF diet had a higher basal concentration of GLP ‐1 (p  = .010) and a higher total area under the curve over 180 min post‐prandial (tAUC _0–180) (p  = .031). Dogs on the HC diet showed a higher elevation of ghrelin at 180 min (p  = .033) and of insulin at 360 min (p  = .041), although ghrelin and insulin tAUC _0–180 did not differ between the two diets (p  ? .10). Diet had no effect on challenge food intake (p  ? .10), which correlated with the tAUC _0–180 of ghrelin (r = .514, p  = .010), insulin (r = ?.595, p  = .002), and glucose (r = ?.516, p  = .010). Feeding a diet high in carbohydrate or fat at these inclusion levels does not affect the feeding response at 180 min post‐prandial, suggesting a similar short‐term satiating capacity.     

Persistence and frequency of application of an insecticide in relation to the rate of evolution of resistance

In an earlier paper, it was demonstrated that in order to delay the evolution of resistance, it is important to ensure that heterozygous carriers of resistance genes are killed so that the R gene is made effectively recessive. How this may be achieved is considered here, with (a) a persistent insecticide declining in effectiveness with time, and (b) a non-persistent insecticide (or fumigant). The relationship between the time taken for the dosage to decline to one-tenth (NGI) and the interval between insecticide applications (N12) was investigated. The optimal value of N12 was found to depend not only on the rate of decline but also on the shape of the degradation curve. Other important factors were (a) the dosage of insecticide applied (the initial effective dominance); (b) the initial frequency of the R gene; (c) the proportion of insects per generation that escaped exposure; and (d) whether selection occurred before or after mating. When considering non-persistent insecticides, it was necessary to distinguish between the short-lived deposit and the space spray, the latter being much less likely to lead to resistance.     

Alleviating cancer drug toxicity by inhibiting a bacterial enzyme

The dose-limiting side effect of the common colon cancer chemotherapeutic CPT-11 is severe diarrhea caused by symbiotic bacterial β-glucuronidases that reactivate the drug in the gut. We sought to target these enzymes without killing the commensal bacteria essential for human health. Potent bacterial β-glucuronidase inhibitors were identified by high-throughput screening and shown to have no effect on the orthologous mammalian enzyme. Crystal structures established that selectivity was based on a loop unique to bacterial β-glucuronidases. Inhibitors were highly effective against the enzyme target in living aerobic and anaerobic bacteria, but did not kill the bacteria or harm mammalian cells. Finally, oral administration of an inhibitor protected mice from CPT-11-induced toxicity. Thus, drugs may be designed to inhibit undesirable enzyme activities in essential microbial symbiotes to enhance chemotherapeutic efficacy.     

Arcobacter: an emerging food-borne zoonotic pathogen,its public health concerns and advances in diagnosis and control – a comprehensive review

Arcobacter has emerged as an important food-borne zoonotic pathogen, causing sometimes serious infections in humans and animals. Newer species of Arcobacter are being incessantly emerging (presently 25 species have been identified) with novel information on the evolutionary mechanisms and genetic diversity among different Arcobacter species. These have been reported from chickens, domestic animals (cattle, pigs, sheep, horses, dogs), reptiles (lizards, snakes and chelonians), meat (poultry, pork, goat, lamb, beef, rabbit), vegetables and from humans in different countries. Arcobacters are implicated as causative agents of diarrhea, mastitis and abortion in animals, while causing bacteremia, endocarditis, peritonitis, gastroenteritis and diarrhea in humans. Three species including A. butzleri, A. cryaerophilus and A. skirrowii are predominantly associated with clinical conditions. Arcobacters are primarily transmitted through contaminated food and water sources. Identification of Arcobacter by biochemical tests is difficult and isolation remains the gold standard method. Current diagnostic advances have provided various molecular methods for efficient detection and differentiation of the Arcobacters at genus and species level. To overcome the emerging antibiotic resistance problem there is an essential need to explore the potential of novel and alternative therapies. Strengthening of the diagnostic aspects is also suggested as in most cases Arcobacters goes unnoticed and hence the exact epidemiological status remains uncertain. This review updates the current knowledge and many aspects of this important food-borne pathogen, namely etiology, evolution and emergence, genetic diversity, epidemiology, the disease in animals and humans, public health concerns, and advances in its diagnosis, prevention and control.     

Assessing suitability of different extractants for determining available boron in soil

In the present study, the extractability of available Boron (B) by different extractants was tested in relation to soil properties. Soil samples from different parts of Indo-Gangetic flood plains of West Bengal were collected and available B extracted with various extractant viz. hot calcium chloride (CaCl₂) (HCC), Potassium di-hydrogen phosphate (PDP), tartaric acid (TA) and MCC. Plant availability of B was assessed by growing wheat (Triticum aestivum L.cv.K-1006) in such soils through pot experiments. HCC showed the highest available B content as well as highest correlation coefficient value with all plant growth parameters and soil properties. The B extracting efficiency of the tested extractants was found in the order of HCC > PDP > TA > MCC. Results showed that dry matter yield, plant B concentration and uptake was increased significantly after application of Borax. Linear Correlations, Multiple regression analysis using Mallow's Cp statistics proved HCC to be the best extractant for estimating available B in experimental soils.     

Prevalence of Salmonella associated with chick mortality at hatching and their susceptibility to antimicrobial agents

The prevalence of Salmonella associated mortality at hatching was investigated in three hatcheries in Jos, central Nigeria. Their susceptibility to antimicrobial agents was also evaluated. S. Kentucky and S. Hadar were isolated. While half of the isolates were from internal organs, 26.7% came from meconial swabs of dead-in-shell embryos, 17.8% from intestinal samples and 4.4% from egg shells. S. Hadar is known to colonise only the gut and is classified as non-invasive, but in this study 82% were obtained from internal organs which suggests that infections with this serotype may also cause invasive disease. Antimicrobial susceptibility tests showed a high prevalence of antimicrobial resistance in the study area with complete resistance to gentamycin, enrofloxacin, nalidixic acid, tetracycline and streptomycin and substantial resistance to triple sulphur and ciprofloxacin. Six multiple resistance profiles were recorded with a high level of multiple resistance to quinolones. Quinolone resistance has implications for veterinary and human therapy as their misuse in poultry could lead to the emergence of resistant animal and zoonotic pathogens.     

Diaryloxyacetate herbicides

The discovery and investigation of a novel family of herbicides containing a diaryl acetal are described. The stability of the acetal limited herbicidal efficacy and recognizing that fact led to the design of analogs with commercial levels of post-emergence activity on broadleaf weeds. These compounds inhibited acetolactate synthase and in vitro activity data were used to guide target design. However, no members of this family provided a commercially valuable combination of herbicidal efficacy and crop selectivity.