Veterinary sanitary assessment of mutton after application of antihelminth feed additive with albendazole / Avaliação sanitária veterinária de carneiro após aplicação de aditivo anti-helmíntico com albendazol

Abstract This study assessed the anthelminthic feed additive albendazole effect on the main indicators of the quality of sheep meat obtained from infected and deworming animals. A total of 20 heads of Akzhaik meat and wool sheep (i.e. 2 years of age, of different sex) were used in a 20-day experiment and 2 groups of 10 heads were formed (n = 4). The sheep were fed with the basic diet (i.e. control, group CON), without adding anything, and the second group was fed the basic diet orally with the addition of a dose of 1.2 g / head (an experimental group). At the end of the experiment, a control slaughter was carried out from each group in order to study the biochemical composition of meat and its quality. The anthelmintic feed additive albendazole did not have a significant effect on the indicators (organoleptic and physicochemical) of meat quality (P> 0.04). However, the ratio of fat and ash in the meat of the control group has differences in indicators and is reduced by 24.81% and 0.03%, respectively. The drug had a significant effect on the biological value of meat in the experimental group, where there is a higher content of essential amino acids (P = 0.06), nonessential (P = 0.05) concentrations in comparison with the CON groups. The results obtained show that the meat of the experimental groups of sheep, when using the anthelminthic feed additive albendazole, did not have a significant effect on organoleptic parameters, but significantly positively influenced the metabolism, live weight gain and biological value of meat.

Resumo Este estudo avaliou o efeito do aditivo anti-helmíntico albendazol sobre os principais indicadores de qualidade da carne ovina obtida de animais infectados e desparasitados. Um total de 20 cabeças de carne Akzhaik e ovelhas de lã (ou seja, 2 anos de idade, de sexo diferente) foi usado em um experimento de 20 dias e dois grupos de 10 cabeças foram formados (n = 4). As ovelhas foram alimentadas com dieta básica (ou seja, controle, grupo CON), sem adicionar nada, e o segundo grupo foi alimentado com dieta básica por via oral com a adição de uma dose de 1,2 g / cabeça (um grupo experimental). Ao final do experimento, foi realizado um abate controle de cada grupo para estudar a composição bioquímica da carne e sua qualidade. O aditivo anti-helmíntico albendazol não teve efeito significativo sobre os indicadores (organolépticos e físico-químicos) de qualidade da carne (P > 0,04). No entanto, a proporção de gordura e cinzas na carne do grupo de controle tem diferenças nos indicadores e é reduzida em 24,81% e 0,03%, respectivamente. A droga teve efeito significativo sobre o valor biológico da carne no grupo experimental, onde há maior teor de aminoácidos essenciais (P = 0,06), concentrações não essenciais (P = 0,05) em comparação com os grupos CON. Os resultados obtidos mostram que a carne dos grupos experimentais de ovinos, ao utilizar o aditivo anti-helmíntico albendazol, não teve efeito significativo nos parâmetros organolépticos, mas influenciou positivamente de forma significativa no metabolismo, ganho de peso vivo e valor biológico da carne.

Loeffler's Syndrome and Multifocal Cutaneous Larva Migrans: Case report of an uncommon occurrence and review of the literature.

Cutaneous larva migrans (CLM) is a zoonotic skin disease that is frequently diagnosed in tropical and subtropical countries. Loeffler's syndrome (LS) is a transient respiratory ailment characterised by pulmonary infiltration along with peripheral eosinophilia and commonly follows parasitic infestation. We report a 33-year-old male patient who presented to a tertiary care hospital in eastern India in 2019 with LS that was attributed secondary to multifocal CLM. Treatment with seven-day course of oral albendazole (400 mg daily) coupled with nebulisation (levosalbutamol and budesonide) led to complete resolution of cutaneous lesions and respiratory complaints within two weeks. There was complete resolution of pulmonary pathology at four-weeks follow-up.

Albendazole from ovine excrements in soil and plants under real agricultural conditions: Distribution, persistence, and effects.

Albendazole (ABZ), a broad-spectrum anthelmintic drug frequently used in livestock against parasitic worms (helminths), enters the environment mainly via faeces of treated animals left in the pastures or used as dung for field fertilization. To obtain information about the subsequent fate of ABZ, the distribution of ABZ and its metabolites in the soil around faeces along with uptake and effects in plants were monitored under real agricultural conditions. Sheep were treated with a recommended dose of ABZ; faeces were collected and used to fertilize fields with fodder plants. Soil samples (in two depths) and samples of two plants, clover (Trifolium pratense) and alfalfa (Medicago sativa), were collected at distances 0-75 cm from the faeces for 3 months after fertilization. The environmental samples were extracted using QuEChERS and LLE sample preparation procedures. The targeted analysis of ABZ and its metabolites was conducted by using the validated UHPLC-MS method. Two main ABZ metabolites, ABZ-sulfoxide (anthelmintically active) and ABZ-sulfone (inactive), persisted in soil (up to 25 cm from faeces) and in plants for three months when the experiment ended. In plants, ABZ metabolites were detected even 60 cm from the faeces and abiotic stress was observed in the central plants. The considerable distribution and persistence of ABZ metabolites in soil and plants amplify the negative environmental impact of ABZ documented in other studies.

A Post-Lockdown Assessment of Albendazole Treatment Coverage in Mass Drug Administration Campaigns Implemented Before and During COVID-19 Pandemic in Ekiti, Southwest Nigeria.

Objective: This study assessed the coverage of albendazole (ALB) in mass drug administration (MDA) programs implemented before (2019) and during the (2020 and 2021) COVID-19 pandemic in Ekiti State, Nigeria. Methods: Standardized questionnaires were administered to 1,127 children across three peri-urban communities to ascertain if they received and swallowed ALB across the years. Reasons, why ALB was not received, were documented and analyzed in SPSS. 20.0. Results: In 2019, the medicine reach was between 42.2%-57.8%, however, during the pandemic, the reach significantly reduced to 12.3%-18.6%, and increased to 28.5%-35.2% in 2021 (p < 0.000). About 19.6%-27.2% of the participants have missed 1 MDA, while 26.9%-37.8% and 22.4%-32.8% have missed 2 and 3 MDAs, respectively. The majority who did not receive ALB (60.8%-75%) claimed drug distributors never came, while about 14.9%-20.3% mentioned they did not hear about MDA. However, individual compliance towards swallowing was above 94% across the study years (p < 0.00). Conclusion: These results highlight the need to explore the perceptions of those who have consistently missed MDAs, and also understand the health-system-related issues including those imposed by the pandemic affecting MDA.

Strongyloides hyperinfection syndrome and cytomegalovirus infection in a patient with type II diabetes mellitus.

Strongyloidiasis is a gastrointestinal parasitic infection caused by percutaneous infection with Strongyloides stercoralis, which is mainly distributed in the tropics and subtropics worldwide. Digestive symptoms like diarrhea and abdominal pain are the main manifestation, but serious infections such as bacterial pneumonia, purulent meningitis and sepsis also occur in immunocompromised individuals. Herein, we present a rare case of a type II diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patient presented with gastrointestinal hemorrhage and sepsis caused by concomitant Strongyloides stercoralis and cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection. This 51-year-old male patient presented to the hospital with vomiting, diarrhea, dyspnea, palpitation and weakness. Examination revealed skin soft-tissue infection with T2DM, and upper endoscopy revealed gastric mucosal erosion and hemorrhage. Radiology revealed bilateral diffuse interstitial infiltrates and thickened walls of the colon. Importantly, stool and vomitus examination showed numerous larvae of Strongyloides stercoralis. Then the diagnosis of Strongyloides hyperinfection syndrome was made. But antibiotics and albendazole treatment did not improve the patient's symptoms of gastrointestinal bleeding and sepsis. Subsequently, other pathogens were screened by sequence and a positive CMV gene was found in the peripheral blood. Thus, antibiotics, albendazole and ganciclovir were all used which ultimately resolved the infection in this patient. Therefore, this case indicated CMV could also by co-infected with Strongyloides stercoralis in the immunocompromised patient, which remind us that an CMV test should also be performed when encountered in severe strongyloidiasis infection, which could improve the prognosis of the patient.

Hidatidosis pancreática en una niña de 5 años / Pancreatic echinococcosis in a 5-year-old girl

La hidatidosis pancreática representa el 0,2-0,6 % de los casos, siendo la población pediátrica la de mayor riesgo. Las lesiones suelen localizarse en cabeza del páncreas (50-58 %); la localización en cuerpo y cola del páncreas se encuentra en el 24-34 % y el 19 %, respectivamente. Dada la posibilidad de complicaciones, suele realizarse tratamiento quirúrgico. Se sugiriere indicar albendazol antes y después del acto quirúrgico por los riesgos de ruptura y diseminación de los protoescólices. Se presenta el caso de una niña de 5 años de edad con dolor abdominal progresivo y lesión quística en páncreas compatible con hidatidosis en la ultrasonografía. En la tomografía computada se observa compresión de la vía biliar. La hemoaglutinación indirecta fue negativa. Presentó elevación de la bilirrubina total, con franco predominio de bilirrubina directa, y aumento de enzimas hepáticas. Se realizó laparotomía exploradora, colecistectomía y destechamiento del quiste. Evolucionó favorablemente, continuó con albendazol durante 3 meses luego de la cirugía.

Pancreatic echinococcosis accounts for 0.2­0.6% of cases, with the pediatric population being at a higher risk. Most commonly, pancreatic lesions occur in the head of the pancreas (50­58%); and in the body and tail in 24­34% and 19% of cases, respectively. Given the potential complications, surgery is usually performed. Albendazole is recommended before and after the surgery due to the risks for rupture and dissemination of protoscolices. Here we describe the case of a 5-year-old girl with progressive abdominal pain and cystic lesion in the pancreas compatible with echinococcosis in the ultrasound. The computed tomography showed bile duct compression. Indirect hemagglutination was negative. She had elevated total bilirubin, with a clear predominance of direct bilirubin, and high liver enzymes. Exploratory laparotomy, cholecystectomy, and unroofing of the cyst were performed. The patient had a favorable course and continued with albendazole for 3 months after the surgery.

Spinal nerve root sleeve cysticercosis: a case report and review of the literature.

BACKGROUND: Neurocysticercosis is a parasitic infection of the central nervous system by tapeworm larvae. Spinal cysticercosis is thought to be relatively rare, and spinal nerve root sleeve cysticercosis have not been reported previously. CASE PRESENTATION: A 46-year-old Chinese Han female patient presented with low back pain and radicular pain of the right lower limb. The visual analog scale was 6. Magnetic resonance imaging showed a subarachnoid cyst at the S1 level, with a slight enhanced rim. The patient underwent surgical treatment. During surgery, we found the cyst located mainly in the subarachnoid space and partly in a sacral nerve root sleeve. Cysticercosis was also confirmed by postoperative pathological examination. Postoperative drug therapy was performed after cysticercosis was confirmed. Postoperatively, the patient was treated with oral albendazole (15 mg/kg) for 1 month. Only mild sensory impairment was left when she was discharged. After 3 years of follow-up, the visual analog scale reduced from 6 to 2, and the patient's sensory function completely recovered. Magnetic resonance imaging showed no recurrence of cysticercosis. CONCLUSION: Subarachnoid cysticercosis may extend to nerve root sleeve causing back pain and radiculopathy, which may present with similar magnetic resonance imaging manifestations to Tarlov cysts. Hence, spinal subarachnoid cysticercosis should be considered as an important differential diagnosis of arachnoid cyst and sacral Tarlov cyst. Combined treatment with surgical removal and drug therapy is effective to manage spinal subarachnoid cysticercosis.

[Rare complication of echinococcosis in clinical practice]. / Redkoe oslozhnenie ekhinokokkoza.

The authors report retroperitoneal echinococcosis with destruction of the bodies and left transverse processes of L4-5 vertebrae, recurrence and pathological fracture of L4-5 vertebrae with secondary spinal stenosis and left-sided monoparesis. Retroperitoneal echinococcectomy, pericystectomy, decompressive laminectomy L5 and foraminotomy L5-S1 on the left were performed. Therapy with albendazole was prescribed in postoperative period.

Treatment of Cystic Echinococcosis in Children: A Single Center Experience.

BACKGROUND: Cystic echinococcosis (CE) treatment is complicated, relying on cysts characteristics, host factors and possible treatment adverse events. We assessed childhood CE treatment characteristics. METHODS: A retrospective cohort study, 2005-2021, which presents our experience with treating children with CE. We compared therapeutic interventions use in association with the location, size and number of cysts. Additionally, we assessed complications rate following those interventions. RESULTS: Sixty six children had CE; 97% were Bedouins. Overall, 183 cysts were identified in 74 organs: liver (n = 47, 64%), lungs (n = 23, 31%), brain, para-ovarian, kidney and peritoneum (other-grouped, n = 4, 5%). Mean ± Standard deviation largest cyst size (per patient) was 6.6 ± 3.2 cm. Treatment with albendazole was administered to 94% of CE, while albendazole monotherapy was used in 27% (n = 18, including 4 cases with extra-hepatic cysts). Surgical interventions included drainage/puncture, aspiration, injection and reaspiration (PAIR; n = 20), mainly performed in hepatic-CE (40% vs. 4% in pulmonary-CE, and 0% in other-CE), excision and drainage (n = 34) and complete excision (n = 10), mainly done in other-CE (50% vs. 26% and 4% in pulmonary-CE and hepatic-CE, respectively). Larger cyst size was associated with complete excision compared with albendazole monotherapy. The number of cysts was not associated with the chosen intervention. Fever was recorded following 39% of surgical interventions. Local surgical complications were relatively rare. CONCLUSIONS: Cysts location and size affected treatment choice among CE patients. Procedures with drainage had relatively higher rate of complications, including recurrence. Albendazole monotherapy may be a viable therapeutic option in selected CE cases.

In vitro and in vivo anthelmintic and chemical studies of Cyperus rotundus L. extracts.

BACKGROUND: Trichinellosis, a zoonosis caused by the genus Trichinella, is a widespread foodborne disease. Albendazole, one of the benzimidazole derivatives, is used for treating human trichinellosis, but with limited efficacy in killing the encysted larvae and numerous adverse effects. Cyperus rotundus L. is a herbal plant with a wide range of medicinal uses, including antiparasitic, and is frequently used in traditional medicine to treat various illnesses. METHODS: LC-ESI-MS was used to identify the active phytoconstituents in the methanol extract (MeOH ext.) of the aerial parts of C. rotundus and its derivate fractions ethyl acetate (EtOAc fr.), petroleum ether (pet-ether fr.), and normal butanol (n-BuOH fr.). The in vivo therapeutic effects of C. rotundus fractions of the extracts were evaluated using the fraction that showed the most promising effect after detecting their in vitro anti-Trichinella spiralis potential. RESULTS: C. rotundus extracts are rich in different phytochemicals, and the LC-ESI-MS of the 90% methanol extract identified 26 phenolic compounds classified as phenolic acids, flavonoids, and organic acids. The in vitro studies showed that C. rotundus extracts had a lethal effect on T. spiralis adults, and the LC50 were 156.12 µg/ml, 294.67 µg/ml, 82.09 µg/ml, and 73.16 µg/ml in 90% MeOH ext., EtOAc fr., pet-ether fr. and n-BuOH fr., respectively. The n-BuOH fr. was shown to have the most promising effects in the in vitro studies, which was confirmed by scanning electron microscopy. The in vivo effects of n-BuOH fr. alone and in combination with albendazole using a mouse model were evaluated by counting adults in the small intestine and larvae in the muscles, in addition to the histopathological changes in the small intestine and the muscles. In the treated groups, there was a significant decrease in the number of adults and larvae compared to the control group. Histopathologically, treated groups showed a remarkable improvement in the small intestine and muscle changes. Remarkably, maximal therapeutic effects were detected in the combination therapy compared to each monotherapy. CONCLUSION: Accordingly, C. rotundus extracts may have anti-T. spiralis potential, particularly when combined with albendazole, and they may be used as synergistic to anti-T. spiralis medication therapy.

Phospholipid Complexation for Bioavailability Improvement of Albendazole: Preparation, Characterization and In Vivo Evaluation.

The current study aimed to improve the poor solubility of albendazole (ABZ) by means of phospholipid complexation, hence to improve its oral bioavailability. The solvent-evaporation method for ABZ-phospholipid complex (ABZ-PC) preparation was established for the first time. And a systematic optimization of preparation conditions of ABZ-PC was performed. Physicochemical studies of ABZ-PC were performed with FTIR, DSC, and XRD measurements to confirm the formation of the ABZ-PC and reveal the interaction mechanism between ABZ and phospholipid molecules. Solubility determination and morphological characterization were applied to verify the solubility improvement of prepared ABZ-PC. Moreover, the pharmacokinetic performance of ABZ-PC was further evaluated in vivo compared with raw materials of ABZ. Under optimal preparation conditions, the AE of ABZ-PC could be approximately 100%. Physicochemical studies indicated that the P = O group in the phospholipid molecule would interact with the N-H group in the ABZ molecule through hydrogen bonds and ABZ was dispersed in an amorphous state after being prepared into ABZ-PC. The aqueous solubility of ABZ-PC in deionized water (pH7.0) improved by 30-folds than free ABZ, and the AUC0-t of ABZ-PC was significantly increased by 2.32 times in comparison with raw materials of ABZ through oral administration. The current study developed an effective method for the phospholipid complexation of ABZ. With significantly improved solubility in an aqueous environment, the prepared ABZ-PC exhibited improved oral bioavailability and pharmacokinetic characteristics indicating it could be potentially applied in the oral drug delivery of ABZ.

Improvement of Antialveolar echinococcosis efficacy of novel Albendazole-Bile acids Derivatives with Enhanced Oral Bioavailability.

Alveolar echinococcosis (AE) is a chronic and fatal infectious parasitic disease, which has not been well-researched. Current recommended therapies for AE by the World Health Organization include complete removal of the infected tissue followed by two years of albendazole (ABZ), administered orally, which is the only effective first-line anti-AE drug. Unfortunately, in most cases, complete resection of AE lesions is impossible, requiring ABZ administration for even longer periods. Only one-third of patients experienced complete remission or cure with such treatments, primarily due to ABZ's low solubility and low bioavailability. To improve ABZ bioavailability, albendazole bile acid derivative (ABZ-BA) has been designed and synthesized. Its structure was identified by mass spectrometry and nuclear magnetic resonance. Its physicochemical properties were evaluated by wide-angle X-ray diffraction, differential scanning calorimetry, scanning electron microscopy, and polarizing microscopy; it was compared with ABZ to assess its solubilization mechanism at the molecular level. To avoid the effects of bile acid on the efficacy of albendazole, the inhibitory effect of ABZ-BA on protoscolex (PSCs)s was observed in vitro. The inhibitory effect of ABZ-BA on PSCs was evaluated by survival rate, ultrastructural changes, and the expression of key cytokines during PSC apoptosis. The results showed that ABZ-BA with 4-amino-1-butanol as a linker was successfully prepared. Physicochemical characterization demonstrated that the molecular arrangement of ABZ-BA presents a short-range disordered amorphous state, which changes the drug morphology compared with crystalline ABZ. The equilibrium solubility of ABZ-BA was 4-fold higher than ABZ in vitro. ABZ-BA relative bioavailability (Frel) in Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats was 26-fold higher than ABZ in vivo. The inhibitory effect of ABZ-BA on PSCs was identical to that of ABZ, indicating that adding bile acid did not affect the efficacy of anti-echinococcosis. In the pharmacodynamics study, it was found that the ABZ-BA group had 2.7-fold greater than that of Albenda after 1 month of oral administration. The relative bioavailability of ABZ-BA is significantly better than ABZ due to the transformation of the physical state from a crystalline state to an amorphous state. Furthermore, sodium-dependent bile acid transporter (ASBT) expressed in the apical small intestine has a synergistic effect through the effective transport of bile acids. Therefore, we concluded that the NC formulation could potentially be developed to improve anti-AE drug therapy.

Calicophoron daubneyi (Dinnik, 1962) (Digenea) in beef and dairy cattle in the Czech Republic: prevalence and drug efficacy.

A total of 1,724 beef and 2,941 dairy cattle older than one year from 66 beef and 67 dairy farms in the Czech Republic were examined for the presence of rumen and liver fluke eggs in 2019-2022. Out of 227 positive animals, all were positive for paramphistome and five for fasciolid eggs. Molecular analysis of the ITS2 rDNA revealed the presence of Calicophoron daubneyi (Dinnik, 1962) and Fasciola hepatica Linnaeus, 1758. Faecal egg count (FEC) showed low infection intensity (12 EPG) in animals infected with F. hepatica and high variability in C. daubneyi infections (2-589 EPG). Efficacy of oxyclozanide, albendazole, ivermectin, and closantel against C. daubneyi infection was evaluated at eight beef cattle herds. Faecal samples were collected from all positive animals at 0 and 21days post-treatment. Based on FEC, albendazole, ivermectin and closantel reduced the number of C. daubneyi eggs shed by 0-9.9%, with no effect on the number of infected animals. The use of oxyclozanide on two beef farms showed 100% efficacy against C. daubneyi and F. hepatica. Follow-up examination 5-6 months after drug application showed reinfection of most animals with C. daubneyi, but the FEC was significantly lower. The finding of four dairy cows infected with C. daubneyi housed in a stable without pasture suggests the possibility of the infection being introduced through roughage.

Inhibition of albendazole and 2-(2-aminophenyl)-1H-benzimidazole against tyrosinase: mechanism, structure-activity relationship, and anti-browning effect.

BACKGROUND: Tyrosinase is the key enzyme involved in enzymatic browning of plant-derived foods. Inhibition of tyrosinase activity contributes to the control of food browning. Due to safety regulations or other issues, most identified tyrosinase inhibitors are not suitable for practical use. Therefore, it is necessary to search for novel tyrosinase inhibitors. In this study, the anti-tyrosinase activity and mechanism of albendazole and 2-(2-aminophenyl)-1H-benzimidazole (2-2-A-1HB) were investigated through ultraviolet-visible absorption spectroscopy, fluorescence spectra, molecular docking, and molecular dynamic (MD) simulation. The anti-browning effect of albendazole on fresh-cut apples was then elucidated. RESULTS: Albendazole and 2-2-A-1HB were both efficient tyrosinase inhibitors with IC50 of 51 ± 1.5 and 128 ± 1.3 µmol L-1 , respectively. Albendazole suppressed tyrosinase non-competitively and formed tyrosinase-albendazole complex statically. Hydrogen bond and hydrophobic interaction were major driving forces in stabilizing the tyrosinase-albendazole complex. While 2-2-A-1HB inhibited the enzyme competitively and quenched its intrinsic fluorescence through a static mechanism, it generated strong binding affinity with tyrosinase through hydrophobic interaction. MD simulations further validated that albendazole/2-2-A-1HB could form stable complexes with tyrosinase and loosened its basic framework structure, leading to a change in secondary structure and conformation. In addition, albendazole could delay the browning of fresh-cut apples by inhibiting the activity of polyphenol oxidase, peroxidase and phenylalanine ammonia-lyase, and reducing the oxidation of phenolic compounds. CONCLUSION: This research might provide a deep view of tyrosinase inhibition by benzimidazole derivatives and a theoretical basis for developing albendazole as a potential fresh-keeping agent. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry.

Anthelmintic resistance in sheep in the semiarid region of Minas Gerais, Brazil.

Anthelmintic efficacy was evaluated among sheep that had become naturally infected with gastrointestinal nematodes in 17 flocks located in the semiarid region of Minas Gerais, Brazil. Feces were collected individually from 1021 hairy sheep to determine the number of eggs per gram of feces (EPG) and for coprocultures to identify nematode genera the nematodes. Only the animals that presented EPG counts greater than or equal to 200 were included in the study (totaling 381 sheep). The animals were divided into three treatment groups: albendazole, ivermectin and levamisole. Fourteen days after the administration of anthelmintics, fecal samples were taken from all animals. In each flock, the pre-treatment and post-treatment arithmetic mean EPG were used to calculate the efficacy (FECR) for each of the treatment groups and the lower 95% confidence limit. Data were analyzed with the "eggCounts 2.3" package in RStudio, using a Bayesian model for paired design. The anthelmintics were classified as being efficacious (when the FECR was both equal to or above 95% and the lower 95% confidence limit was equal to or above 90%) or as encountering anthelmintic resistance (when the FECR was below 95% and the lower 95% confidence limit was below 90%) or inconclusive (when none of the other criteria were fulfilled). Albendazole and ivermectin were not effective in any of the flocks. Levamisole was effective against gastrointestinal nematodes in 25% of the flocks studied. Haemonchus, Trichostrongylus and Oesophagostomum genera were identified in this study in a semiarid region of Minas Gerais, Brazil. The genus Haemonchus was the most prevalent, followed by Trichostrongylus and Oesophagostomum. After anthelmintic treatment, the most prevalent genus was Haemonchus, followed by Trichostrongylus; the genus Oesophagostomum was not detected. The highest percentage of Haemonchus larvae was observed after treatment with ivermectin, followed by albendazole and levamisole. This study revealed the existence of gastrointestinal nematodes in sheep that present multiple resistance to all three main classes of anthelmintic drugs.

The anti-echinococcal activity of crocin in mice experimentally infected with Echinococcus granulosus.

Herbal preparations have good medicinal value for potential use as therapeutic agents in cystic echinococcosis. The efficiency of crocin in the case of cystic echinococcosis was investigated, and compared with that of albendazole, one of the few licensed anti-echinococcosis drugs that served as a positive control. Five months after infecting BALB/C mice with E. granulosus sensu lato the experimental group was divided into 7 subgroups containing 10 animals each: 1- Crocin 80 (80 mg/kg), 2- Crocin 40 (40 mg/kg), 3- Crocin 10 (10 mg/kg), 4- Albendazole (200 mg/kg), 5- Crocin 10 (10 mg/kg) +Albendazole (100 mg/kg), 6- Crocin 20 (20 mg/kg) +Albendazole (50 mg/kg), 7- the control (infected and untreated). After two weeks of daily treatment, significant reductions of cysts' weights, sizes, and total numbers concerning the control group were achieved by treatment with crocin 80, crocin 40, crocin 10, crocin 10 + ABZ100, crocin 20+ ABZ50 and ABZ200 (p < 0.05). Moreover, there was no difference concentrations of crocin and those treated with albendazole,. The concentration of bilirubin was higher in the control group than all treated groups with crocin, significantly. However, the ALT activity showeda significant decrease in the crocin 10 group, compared to the crocin 80, crocin 40, crocin 10 + ABZ100, crocin 20 + ABZ50, control groups (p < 0.05). Based on our results, the administration of crocin used at 10 mg/kg concentrations seems a hopeful applicant for the treatment of cystic echinococcosis.

Case Report: Amphotericin B and Mefloquine as a Salvage Treatment of Alveolar Echinococcosis.

Alveolar echinococcosis is an emerging zoonotic disease caused by the parasite Echinococcus multilocularis. Most patients are diagnosed at a late stage, when lifelong treatment with benzimidazoles is required to stop disease progression. However, for patients who do not tolerate benzimidazole therapy, there are no alternatives. Here, we present a patient with advanced alveolar echinococcosis who was successfully treated with amphotericin B deoxycholate and mefloquine as a rescue therapy after he developed albendazole intolerance.

Benzimidazole fungicide biotransformation by comammox Nitrospira bacteria: Transformation pathways and associated proteomic responses.

Benzimidazole fungicides are frequently detected in aquatic environments and pose a serious health risk. Here, we investigated the metabolic capacity of the recently discovered complete ammonia-oxidizing (comammox) Nitrospira inopinata and kreftii to transform a representative set of benzimidazole fungicides (i.e., benzimidazole, albendazole, carbendazim, fuberidazole, and thiabendazole). Ammonia-oxidizing bacteria and archaea, as well as the canonical nitrite-oxidizing Nitrospira exhibited no or minor biotransformation activity towards all the five benzimidazole fungicides. In contrast, the investigated comammox bacteria actively transformed all the five benzimidazole fungicides, except for thiabendazole. The identified transformation products indicated hydroxylation, S-oxidation, and glycosylation as the major biotransformation pathways of benzimidazole fungicides. We speculated that these reactions were catalyzed by comammox-specific ammonia monooxygenase, cytochrome P450 monooxygenases, and glycosylases, respectively. Interestingly, the exposure to albendazole enhanced the expression of the antibiotic resistance gene acrB of Nitrospira inopinata, suggesting that some benzimidazole fungicides could act as environmental stressors that trigger cellular defense mechanisms. Altogether, this study demonstrated the distinct substrate specificity of comammox bacteria towards benzimidazole fungicides and implies their significant roles in the biotransformation of these fungicides in nitrifying environments.

Subcutaneous infection mouse model could be applied into real time monitoring the efficacy of anti-cystic echinococcosis drug in vivo.

Cystic echinococcosis (CE) is a zoonotic parasitic disease with a cosmopolitan distribution, and it is urgent to develop novel anti-helminthic agents. The intraperitoneal (ip) infection mice model was widely used to evaluate the efficacy of potential anti-CE compounds. Still, it's time-consuming, and the inability to achieve real-time monitoring hinders the development of potential anti-CE compounds. In this study, a CE mouse model was established by subcutaneous (sc) injection of protoscoleces of Echinococcus granulosus sensu stricto (E.granulosus s.s.) and used to assess the efficiency and efficacy of prospective anti-CE drugs. Compared to the ip infection CE mice model, the lesion volume of sc infection protoscoleces of E.granulosus s.s. (EgPSCs) could be measured by vernier caliper at week 6 post-infection. In contrast, the lesion volume of ip infection CE mice model was detected by ultrasound-assisted diagnosis at week 16 post-infection. Oral administration of albendazole (ABZ) could reduce cystic weight by 32.17% and 17.61%, the cystic number by 12.24% and 25.19%, and damage the ultrastructure of the cysts of E. granulosus s.s. in the sc and ip infection group, respectively. Furthermore, we found that the sc infection mice model could real-time monitor the lesion volume of E. granulosus s.s. during the ABZ and everolimus treatment. Therefore, we consider that the sc infection CE mice model is an assistant tool for screening and developing potential anti-CE compounds.