Antileishmanial Activity and In Silico Molecular Docking Studies of Malachra alceifolia Jacq. Fractions against Leishmania mexicana Amastigotes.

Malachra alceifolia Jacq. (family Malvaceae), known as "malva," is a medicinal plant used as a traditional therapy in many regions of America, Africa and Asia. Traditionally, this plant is used in the form of extracts, powder and paste by populations for treating fever, stomachache, inflammation, and parasites. However, the ethnopharmacological validation of M. alceifolia has been scarcely researched. This study showed that the chloroform fraction (MA-IC) and subfraction (MA-24F) of the leaves of M. alceifolia exhibited a potential antileishmanial activity against axenic amastigotes of Leishmania mexicana pifanoi (MHOM/VE/60/Ltrod) and had high and moderate cytotoxic effects on the viability and morphology of macrophages RAW 264.7. This study reports, for the first time, possible terpenoid metabolites and derivatives present in M. alceifolia with activity against some biosynthetic pathways in L. mexicana amastigotes. The compounds from the subfractions MA-24F were highly active and were analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and by a molecular docking study in L. mexicana target protein. This study demonstrates the potential modes of interaction and the theoretical affinity energy of the metabolites episwertenol, α-amyrin and methyl commate A, which are present in the active fraction MA-24F, at allosteric sites of the pyruvate kinase, glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase, triose phosphate isomerase, aldolase, phosphoglucose isomerase, transketolase, arginase and cysteine peptidases A, target proteins in some vital biosynthetic pathways were responsible for the survival of L. mexicana. Some phytoconstituents of M. alceifolia can be used for the search for potential new drugs and molecular targets for treating leishmaniases and infectious diseases. Furthermore, contributions to research and the validation and conservation of traditional knowledge of medicinal plants are needed globally.

Homology Modeling of Leishmanolysin (gp63) from Leishmania panamensis and Molecular Docking of Flavonoids.

Leishmaniasis is a chronic disease caused by protozoa of the distinct Leishmania genus transmitted by sandflies of the genus Phlebotomus (old world) and Lutzomyia (new world). Among the molecular factors that contribute to the virulence and pathogenesis of Leishmania are metalloproteases, e.g., glycoprotein 63 (gp63), also known as leishmanolysin or major surface protease (MSP). This protease is a zinc-dependent metalloprotease that is found on the surface of the parasite, abundant in Leishmania promastigote and amastigote. This study describes the prediction of three-dimensional (3D) structures of leishmanolysin (UniProt ID A0A088RJX7) of Leishmania panamensis employing a homology modeling approach. The 3D structure prediction was performed using the SWISS-MODEL web server. The tools PROCHECK, Molprobyty, and Verify3D were used to check the quality of the model, indicating that they are reliable. Best docking configurations were identified applying AutoDock Vina in PyRx 0.8 to obtain a potential antileishmanial activity. Biflavonoids such as lanaroflavone, podocarpusflavone A, amentoflavone, and podocarpusflavone B showed good scores among these molecules. Lanaroflavone appears to be the most suitable compound from binding affinity calculations.

Detección de Streptococcus pyogenes en muestras faringoamigdalares mediante técnica de detección de antígeno / Detection of Streptococcus pyogenes in throat swab samples using antigen detection technique

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Prevalence and genetic diversity of Trichomonas vaginalis in the general population of Granada and co-infections with Gardnerella vaginalis and Candida species.

PURPOSE: Purulent or exudative genitourinary infections are a frequent cause of consultation in primary and specialized healthcare. The objectives of this study were: to determine the prevalence of Trichomonas vaginalis and co-infections with Candida spp. and Gardnerella vaginalis in vaginal secretion; and to use multilocus sequence typing (MLST) to analyse the genetic diversity of T. vaginalis strains. METHODOLOGY: The samples were submitted for analysis (n=5230) to a third-level hospital in Granada (Southern Spain) between 2011 and 2014; eight T. vaginalis strains isolated during 2015 were randomly selected for MLST analysis. Culture and nucleic acid hybridization techniques were used to detect microorganisms in the samples. RESULTS: The prevalence of T. vaginalis was 2.4 % between 2011 and 2014, being higher during the first few months of both 2011 and 2012. Among samples positive for T. vaginalis, co-infection with G. vaginalis was detected in 29 samples and co-infection with Candida spp. in 6, while co-infection with all three pathogens was observed in 3 samples. The only statistically significant between-year difference in co-infection rates was observed for T. vaginalis with G. vaginalis due to an elevated rate in 2011. MLST analysis results demonstrated a high genetic variability among strains circulating in our setting. CONCLUSION: These findings emphasize the need for the routine application of diagnostic procedures to avoid the spread of this sexually transmitted infection.

Prostatitis crónica bacteriana. Estudio clínico y microbiológico de 332 casos / Chronic bacterial prostatitis. Clinical and microbiological study of 332 cases

Fundamento y objetivos: La prostatitis crónica bacteriana (PCB) se caracteriza por una clínica de larga duración, frecuentemente asociada a trastornos psicosomáticos. El objetivo del estudio fue estudiar clínica y microbiológicamente la PCB en nuestro medio. Métodos: Entre enero de 2013 y diciembre de 2014 se estudiaron 761 pacientes con sospecha de PCB. De ellos, 332 (43,6%) fueron sometidos a un estudio microbiológico completo y se recogieron los principales signos y síntomas clínicos. Resultados: Un 18,4% de los pacientes fueron diagnosticados microbiológicamente de PCB, siendoEnterococcus faecalis el principal agente etiológico (37,7%), seguido de Escherichia coli(22,2%). El 96,7% de las PCB presentaron cultivos de semen positivos, mientras que tan solo un 22,95% tuvieron cultivos de orina postsemen positivos. Los datos de sensibilidad, especificidad, valor predictivo positivo y valor predictivo negativo del cultivo de semen fueron 96,7; 95,9; 84,3 y 99,3% respectivamente; y del cultivo de la orina postsemen 22,9; 99,3; 87,5 y 85,1% respectivamente. Destacaron el dolor perineotesticular (44,3%) de los pacientes, molestias eyaculatorias (27,9%) y la hemospermia (26,2%) como principales manifestaciones clínicas de los pacientes con estudio microbiológico significativo. Conclusiones: El cultivo fraccionado para el diagnóstico microbiológico de PCB podría simplificarse mediante el cultivo de la orina presemen y del semen, sin necesidad del cultivo de la orina postsemen. El principal agente etiológico de PCB en nuestro medio fue Enterococcus faecalis, seguido deEscherichia coli (AU)

Background and objective: Chronic bacterial prostatitis (CBP) is characterized by long-lasting symptoms, frequently associated with psychosomatic disorders. The objective of the study was to study PCB in our environment clinically and microbiologically. Methods: Between January 2013 and December 2014 761 patients with suspected CBP were studied. Of these patients 332 (43.6%) underwent a complete microbiological study and the major clinical signs and symptoms were collected. Results: Eighteen point four percent of patients were diagnosed microbiologically with CBP,Enterococcus faecalis being the main aetiologic agent (37.7%), followed by Escherichia coli(22.2%). Ninety-six point seven percent of the CBP had positive semen cultures, while only 22.9% had positive urine post-semen cultures. Data of sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value and negative predictive value of semen were 96.7%, 95.9%, 84.3% and 99.3%, respectively and urine post-semen 22.9%, 99.3%, 87.5% and 85.1%, respectively. Testicular perineum pain (44.3%), ejaculatory discomfort (27.9%) and haemospermia (26.2%) were highlighted as the patients’ main clinical manifestations. Conclusions: Fractionated culture for the microbiological diagnosis of CBP could be simplified by the culture of urine pre-semen and semen, without the need for the culture of urine post-semen. The main aetiologic agent of CBP in our media was Enterococcus faecalis, followed by Escherichia coli (AU)

[Chronic bacterial prostatitis. Clinical and microbiological study of 332 cases]. / Prostatitis crónica bacteriana. Estudio clínico y microbiológico de 332 casos.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Chronic bacterial prostatitis (CBP) is characterized by long-lasting symptoms, frequently associated with psychosomatic disorders. The objective of the study was to study PCB in our environment clinically and microbiologically. METHODS: Between January 2013 and December 2014 761 patients with suspected CBP were studied. Of these patients 332 (43.6%) underwent a complete microbiological study and the major clinical signs and symptoms were collected. RESULTS: Eighteen point four percent of patients were diagnosed microbiologically with CBP, Enterococcus faecalis being the main aetiologic agent (37.7%), followed by Escherichia coli (22.2%). Ninety-six point seven percent of the CBP had positive semen cultures, while only 22.9% had positive urine post-semen cultures. Data of sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value and negative predictive value of semen were 96.7%, 95.9%, 84.3% and 99.3%, respectively and urine post-semen 22.9%, 99.3%, 87.5% and 85.1%, respectively. Testicular perineum pain (44.3%), ejaculatory discomfort (27.9%) and haemospermia (26.2%) were highlighted as the patients' main clinical manifestations. CONCLUSIONS: Fractionated culture for the microbiological diagnosis of CBP could be simplified by the culture of urine pre-semen and semen, without the need for the culture of urine post-semen. The main aetiologic agent of CBP in our media was Enterococcus faecalis, followed by Escherichia coli.