Parasiticidal effects of Tanacetum vulgare extract against Ichthyophthirius multifiliis.

Ichthyophthiriasis, which is caused by Ichthyophthirius multifiliis (Ich) infections, has a severe impact on productivity in freshwater aquaculture. These infections were previously treated effectively with malachite green, a compound that is now banned on fish farms due to its carcinogenicity. To find efficacious drugs to control Ich, flowers of tansy Tanacetum vulgare were evaluated for their antiprotozoal activity. Tanacetum vulgare extract significantly reduced the survival of Ich trophonts and theronts. In vitro, the extract killed all trophonts at 3200 mg l-1, terminated tomont reproduction at 50 mg l-1, and caused mortality of all theronts at 100 mg l-1. T. vulgare extract may be a new and efficacious drug for the control of Ich.

Anti-babesial potential and chemical composition of essential oil from yarrow Achillea millefolium.

Essential oils from plants used in traditional medicine are known as a rich source of chemically diverse compounds with specific biological activities. Achillea millefolium essential oil (AEO) was screened for in vitro activity against Babesia canis. The AEO was obtained by hydrodistillation and analysed by gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (GC-MS). GC-MS revealed the presence of 47 compounds in the essential oil. Those present in the highest concentrations were chamazulene (34.45%), ß-caryophyllene (8.93%), (E)-germacrene D (7.55%), patchoulene (7.27%), ß-guaiene (4.62%), α-humulene (4.59%), santolina epoxide (4.41%), ethyl iso-allocholate (2.97%), aromadendrene (2.62%), and neoclovenoxid-alkohol (2.46%). AEO was found to be active in vitro against B. canis, with 50% inhibitory concentration (IC50) values of 0.06 mg/mL, as compared to imidocarb, with IC50 = 0.007 mg/mL. The study confirms that essential oil from A. millefolium has anti-babesial properties in vitro.

Parasiticidal effects of Eclipta alba and Arctium lappa extracts against Ichthyophthirius multifiliis.

Ichthyophthiriasis, commonly known as white spot disease, occurs in both wild and cultured fish and is responsible for heavy economic losses to the aquaculture industry. In past decade, several chemical therapeutants were used to treat ichthyophthiriasis, but the effective drugs, such as malachite green, have been banned for use in food fish due to its genotoxic and carcinogenic properties. To find efficacious drugs to control Ichthyophthirius multifiliis (Ich), whole Eclipta alba plants and dried root of Arctium lappa were evaluated for their antiprotozoal activity. E. alba and A. lappa extracts significantly reduced the survival of Ich trophonts and theronts. In vitro, the E. alba and A. lappa methanol extracts killed all trophonts at 3200 mg l-1. All trophonts were killed after exposure to E. alba aqueous extract at 3200 mg l-1. The methanol extracts of E. alba and A. lappa killed 100% of I. multifiliis theronts at 400 mg l-1 and 800 mg l-1, respectively. The aqueous extract of E. alba and A. lappa killed 100% of I. mulitifiliis theronts at 1600 mg l-1 and 3200 mg l-1, respectively. E. alba and A. lappa extracts may be new and efficacious drugs for the control of ichthyophthiriasis.

In vitro antioxidant and antibabesial activities of the extracts of Achillea millefolium.

Despite many phytochemical and pharmacological investigations, to date, there are no reports concerning the antibabesial activity of extracts of A. millefolium against B. canis. This study was aimed at investigating the biological activities of A. millefolium against the Babesia canis parasite and to identify its chemical ingredients. The water (WE), ethanol (EE) and hexane/acetone (H/AE) extracts of plant aerial parts were screened for total phenolic content (TPC), total flavonoid compound (TFC), DPPH free radical-scavenging activity and its antibabesial activity assay. In this study, imidocarb diproprionate was used as a positive control. The H/AE and EE extracts were analysed using gas chromatography-mass spectroscopy (GC-MS). In the EE extract, the main compounds were 17.64% methyl octadec-9-ynoate, 16.68% stigmast-5-en-3-ol(3α,24S) and 15.17% hexadecanoic acid. In the H/AE extract, the main compounds were 34.55% 11-decyldocosane, 14.31% N-tetratetracontane, 8.22% ß-caryophyllene, and 7.69% N-nonacosane. Extract of EE contained the highest content of phenolics followed by H/AE and WE. The concentration of flavonoids in EE, H/AE and WE extracts showed that TFC was higher in the EE samples followed by H/AE and WE. The antioxidant activities were highest for AA, followed by EE, WE and H/AE. The antibabesial assay showed that the WE, EE and H/AE extracts of A. millefolium were antagonistic to B. canis. At a 2 mg/mL concentration, it showed 58.7% (± 4.7%), 62.3% (± 5.5%) and 49.3% (± 5.1%) inhibitory rate in an antibabesial assay, respectively. Considering these results, the present findings suggest that A. millefolium extracts may be a potential therapeutic agent and that additional studies including in vivo experiments are essential.

Poly(ADP-ribose) glycohydrolase in bovine retained and not retained placenta.

Poly(ADP-ribose) glycohydrolase (PARG) is the enzyme which degrades poly(ADP-ribose) polymers synthesized by poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP). Both enzymes are activated in response to different stimuli like oxidative stress and are involved in DNA repair processes. The retention of bovine foetal membranes (RFM) is supposed to be connected with oxidative stress conditions. The aim of the study was to detect the presence of PARG protein in bovine placenta in order to find the relationship between the process of releasing, retaining placenta and DNA repair. Placentomes, collected alter spontaneous delivery or caesarian section were divided into maternal as well as foetal part of placenta, homogenized and subjected to electrophoresis. Animals were divided into six groups as follows: A--caesarian section before term with RFM; B--caesarian section before term without RFM; C--spontaneous delivery at term with RFM; D--spontaneous delivery at term without RFM; E--caesarian section at term with RFM; F--caesarian section at term without RFM. PARG protein was detected in nitrocellulose membranes using commercially available bovine anti-PARG antibody and Western blotting technique. Single bands referred to bovine PARG standard were observed in all examined tissues as well as in human placenta used as the control of procedure. In addition, the intensity of staining was stronger in retained than properly released term placenta and in foetal than in maternal part of the placenta. These results may suggest the differences in enzyme protein content and careful conclusions can be drawn that the activities of PARG may be altered between compared groups of animals. It may confirm the presence of oxidative stress conditions and their consequences on metabolic pathways, the content of biologically active substances and processes of proper releasing placenta. Further experiments on PARG activity in bovine foetal membranes with respect to proper and improper placental release are necessary.