سال:1396 | دوره: | شماره: |تعداد مقالات:7

Background: Early nutrition of chicks with beneficial bacteria might help in occupying the inner surface of the intestinal tract. Interference of pathogens in intestinal microbiota is well known as barrier effect, bacterial interference, and competitive exclusion.Objectives: It was hypothesized that competitive exclusion in Japanese quails with a blend of beneficial bacteria (Aquablend AvianÒ probiotic) would enhance quails’ growth performance and intestinal mucosal morphology. Furthermore, the study was performed at 2100 m above sea level at Shahrekord University, so another hypothesis was the capability of the probiotic for inhibiting right heart failure.Materials and Methods: One hundred fifty-six Japanese quails were divided into 4 groups: 2 groups (Aquablend and control) at standard environmental temperature and 2 (Aqua-stress and Cont-stress) at cold-hypoxic environmental situation. Aquablend groups received the probiotic in the first 3 days of life in drinking water (0.5 g/100 birds/day).Results: Feed conversion ratio (FCR) was significantly reduced at the end of the experiment (day 35) in both Aquablend and aqua-stress groups compared to control and cont-stress groups, respectively (P<0.05). Carcass characteristics’ improvements in treated quails were not significant. However, slight improvements in carcass and spleen relative weights were observed (P>0.05). Cont-stress group had higher RV: TV ratio (0.28) and heterophil: lymphocyte (H: L) ratio (1.22) than aqua-stress group: (0.25) and (1.20), respectively (P>0.05). Data regarding to intestinal mucosa morphology was controversial but the probiotic was able to elevate duodenum villi surface (P<0.05) and also jejunum and ileum lamina propria thickness.Conclusion: Obtained data suggests that addition of Aquablend Avian® probiotic in the first 3 days of life may improve growth performance and some intestinal mucosa characteristics of Japanese quails. Moreover, the probiotic might reduce right heart failure and stress induced by cold-hypoxic situation.

Background: Antimicrobial resistance is a serious health threat to human society. Antibiotics and preservatives are also the most common modalities to increase the shelf life of foods.Objectives: Antibacterial activity of essential oil of Heracleum persicum (Golpar) fruit against some of the main foodborne bacteria was determined.Materials and Methods: Antibacterial activity of essential oil was evaluated against the bacteria (Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Salmonella typhi, Vibrio cholera, and Yersinia enterocolitica) using disc diffusion method. Broth micro-dilution method was used to determine their minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC). The data was expressed as mean and standard deviation and analyzed using analysis of variance (ANOVA) in SPSS software (P<0.05).Results: Comparing with S. typhi strains (inhibition zone=18±0.46 mm), essential oil was found to be more effective against V. cholera strains (inhibition zone=34±0.2 mm). The MIC value (%) of the essential oil against V. cholera and S. typhi were 8 and 32 respectively. Essential oil of H. persicum (Golpar) showed a good antimicrobial activity against foodborne pathogens.Conclusion: The results revealed that the essential oil of H. persicum can be used in food preservation systems to inhibit the growth of V. cholera strains and improve food quality and safety.

Background: Human toxocariasis is one of the zoonotic helminth diseases that is usually occurred with exposure to contaminated soil. Both Toxocara canis and Toxocara cati are considered the causative agents of Toxocara infection.Objectives: This survey was intended to provide data on the Toxocara species eggs contamination in soil samples in the public parks of Karaj, Iran.Materials and Methods: This study was carried out among 200 soil samples collected from 12 public parks between August and September 2016 to examine the soil contamination with Toxocara species eggs. Soil samples were tested for the presence of Toxocara eggs using sucrose flotation method.Results: Prevalence of Toxocara species eggs in soil samples collected from public parks was 36.4%. The highest number of eggs recovered from 200 g of soil was 20. A total of 200 eggs were recovered and 7.6% were fully developed to embryonated egg stages. The contamination rate in the third region in 4 studied areas was higher than the other regions. A similar tendency was observed in park areas, so that parks higher than 5000 m2 were highly contaminated.Conclusion: According to the results of this study, soils of the public parks in Karaj are one of the main risk factors for human toxocariasis.

Background: Amebiasis with up to 100 000 human deaths each year is the third cause of human deadly parasitic disease. With regard to the fact that cysteine protease 5 is known to be one of the most important pathogenicity factors of the Entamoeba histolytica and also, CP5 gene has been observed only in E. histolytica, hence we discriminated E. histolytica from E. dispar on CP5 gene by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and characterized CP5 gene variation in E. histolytica isolated from patients in both cold regions and tropical regions of Iran at molecular level.Materials and Methods: In the present study, a total of 2332 stool samples (1550 from Tabriz and 782 from Bandar Abbas) were studied microscopically. DNA extraction and PCR method were performed on the positive specimens, infected with E. histolytica/E. dispar. Finally we characterized CP5 gene in E. histolytica isolates from 10 positive samples in the cold regions (Tabriz) and 10 positive samples in the tropical regions (Bandar Abbas) by sequencing and studied the polymorphism of the gene.Results: Of 1550 subjects studied from Tabriz and 782 from Bandar Abaas, 83/1550 (8.3%) and 65/782 (5.35%) persons were infected with E. histolytica/E. dispar, respectively. The molecular results on 20 E. histolytica PCR positive isolates from both regions revealed that nucleotides substitution and polymorphism on CP5 gene was more in samples from Bandar Abbas than those from Tabriz.Conclusion: Prevalence of amebiasis was high in the tropical region (Bandar Abbas) compared with the cold region (Tabriz). In this study, CP5 gene variation in the pathogenicity and virulence of this parasite in the tropical region was higher than that in the cold region.

Background: In Niger as in other developing countries, the diarrheal diseases constitute a serious problem of public health. To treat diarrhea, most Niger people living in the rural areas do rely on medicinal plants. To evaluate the traditional use of these plants, scientific validation is needed.Objectives: The plant species studied here are traditionally used in Niger to treat diarrhea. The aim of this study was to investigate the antibacterial activities of these plants against enteropathogenic bacteria isolated from clinical stool samples.Materials and Methods: The collected plant materials were dried, pulverized, and methanol extracts were prepared. The total and serially diluted fractions of the extracts were assayed for antibacterial activities against selected enter opathogens by agar well diffusion and deep-well microdilution methods.Results: The extracts of Acacia nilotica, Sclerocarya birrea and Combretum nigricans exhibited the highest antibacterial activities against Escherichia coli (21.9±0.6 mm zone of inhibition and minimum inhibitory concentration [MIC] 0.9 mg/mL), Salmonella typhi (19.6±0.2 mm zone of inhibition and MIC 0.9 mg/mL) and Shigella flexneri (18±0.6 mm zone of inhibition and MIC 3.7 mg/mL), respectively.Conclusion: The results of this study provided some insight into the antibacterial activities of the plants traditionally used by the people of Niger republic to treat diarrhea.

Background: Foodborne diseases are one of the serious problems in the world. Every year, more than 100 million people are affected by foodborne and waterborne diseases particularly immunocompromised diseases.Objectives: The aim of the present study was to evaluate bacterial load and antibiotic resistance pattern in bacterial isolates from food samples of meat, dairy, and pastry products from west of Tehran, Iran, during April 2007 to March 2008.Materials and Methods: A total of 1625 different food samples including dairy products, meat and pastries were collected randomly from different parts of the west of Tehran. All samples were kept at 4°C. The samples were first cultured according to the standard bacteriological methods and then Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli isolates were identified using standard bacteriological tests. Antimicrobial susceptibility test was performed by disk diffusion method according to Clinical & Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) guidelines.Results: During 2007 and 2008, 2.8% and 3% of the food samples were contaminated with S. aureus. Similarly, 3.5% and 6.4% of the food samples were contaminated with E. coli. E. coli isolates were highly resistant to amikacin and cephotaxime and this resistance was increased in 2008. Similarly S. aureus isolates were resistant to ciprofloxacin, cephotaxime, gentamicin, and tetracyclin. There was no significant difference during 2007-2008.Conclusion: The rate of contamination during 2007 was 2.8% and during 2008 was 3% for S. aureus. This strain was isolated from the food samples. Further studies should be done to determine the changes of bacterial resistance pattern for various food samples. Thus, the baseline for comparison with future prospective studies should be established, enabling the determination of trends over time.

Background: Enterococcus faecalis is a Gram-positive, commensal bacterium which can cause life-threatening infections in humans. E. faecalis has been frequently found in root canal-treated teeth and is resistant to many commonly used antimicrobial agents. Nowadays modern medicine recognizes herbalism as a form of alternative medicine. Tribulus terrestris, Allium sativum, Salvia officinalis and Allium hirtifolium Boiss are commonly found in Iran and used as antimicrobial agents in folklore medicine.Objectives: In this study, antimicrobial activities of aqueous extracts of some plants were examined in vitro against E. faecalis.Materials and Methods: Antibacterial activities of the extracts of T. terrestris, A. sativum, S. officinalis and A. hirtifolium Boiss were examined using disc and well diffusion methods, and the19 minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of aqueous extracts were determined against E. faecalis using agar and broth dilution methods.Results: The obtained results showed that the extract of A. hirtifolium Boiss inhibited the growth of E. faecalis (MIC of 10 mg/mL). Other plants had no effect on the target bacterium.Conclusion: According to the best effect of A. hirtifolium extract on E. faecalis and stability of this extract in thermal condition, we may purify this extract and use it for treatment of infections.