Chitosan-Based Nanoparticles Against Viral Infections

Viral infections, in addition to damaging host cells, can compromise the host immune system, leading to frequent relapse or long-term persistence. Viruses have the capacity to destroy the host cell while liberating their own RNA or DNA in order to replicate within additional host cells. The viral life cycle makes it challenging to develop anti-viral drugs. Nanotechnology-based approaches have been suggested to deal effectively with viral diseases, and overcome some limitations of anti-viral drugs. Nanotechnology has enabled scientists to overcome the challenges of solubility and toxicity of anti-viral drugs, and can enhance their selectivity towards viruses and virally infected cells, while preserving healthy host cells. Chitosan is a naturally occurring polymer that has been used to construct nanoparticles (NPs), which are biocompatible, biodegradable, less toxic, easy to prepare, and can function as effective drug delivery systems (DDSs). Furthermore, chitosan is Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) by the US Food and Drug Administration (U.S. FDA). Chitosan NPs have been used in drug delivery by the oral, ocular, pulmonary, nasal, mucosal, buccal, or vaginal routes. They have also been studied for gene delivery, vaccine delivery, and advanced cancer therapy. Multiple lines of evidence suggest that chitosan NPs could be used as new therapeutic tools against viral infections. In this review we summarize reports concerning the therapeutic potential of chitosan NPs against various viral infections. © Copyright © 2021 Boroumand, Badie, Mazaheri, Seyedi, Nahand, Nejati, Baghi, Abbasi-Kolli, Badehnoosh, Ghandali, Hamblin and Mirzaei

Economic and social assessment of fish farming in cages in the southern Caspian Sea

This study aimed to assess the social, economic and fish farming in cages in the Southern Caspian Sea. The Caspian Sea is considered as one of the most important water resources of Iran, in which due to the appropriate weather conditions in the north of the country, has the potential for marine aquaculture. With the implementation of this plan would say that with respect to the proposed initial selection from Kheshtsar in Mazandaran province and Kiashahr in Guilan province with along coastline of about 250 km from the depth of 20 to 100 meters and an the area of about 2027km^2 has the cage aquaculture talent. Of course, at the depths of greater than 100 M by using the world technology procedure, there is also the possibility of the establishment of marine cage aquaculture. Now, with the regards of the above potential in the Caspian Sea coastline, it is expected at least 200 cages fish sites farming in with the establishment of 40 cages per site and produce 160,000 tons with creating of 1,000 direct jobs and 2,000 indirect jobs and income 2000 billion gross annual average net profit of 40% could be 800 billion in which will produce of proteins needed part of the country, creating jobs, welfare, prosperity and economy in the region. With the implementation of such national project, it is needed to establish pilot farms to reach the goals: environmental assessment studies, risk assessment, aquatic selection and the use of appropriate cage structures according to ecological conditions of southern Caspian Sea

Insecticide susceptibility status of Phlebotomus (Paraphlebotomus) sergenti and Phlebotomus (Phlebotomus) papatasi in endemic foci of cutaneous leishmaniasis in Morocco

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>In Morocco, cutaneous leishmaniasis is transmitted by <it>Phlebotomus sergenti </it>and <it>Ph. papatasi</it>. Vector control is mainly based on environmental management but indoor residual spraying with synthetic pyrethroids is applied in many foci of <it>Leishmania tropica</it>. However, the levels and distribution of sandfly susceptibility to insecticides currently used has not been studied yet. Hence, this study was undertaken to establish the susceptibility status of <it>Ph. sergenti </it>and <it>Ph. papatasi </it>to lambdacyhalothrin, DDT and malathion.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>The insecticide susceptibility status of <it>Ph. sergenti </it>and <it>Ph. papatasi </it>was assessed during 2011, following the standard WHO technique based on discriminating dosage. A series of twenty-five susceptibility tests were carried out on wild populations of <it>Ph. sergenti </it>and <it>Ph. papatasi </it>collected by CDC light traps from seven villages in six different provinces. Knockdown rates (KDT) were noted at 5 min intervals during the exposure to DDT and to lambdacyhalothrin. After one hour of exposure, sandflies were transferred to the observation tubes for 24 hours. After this period, mortality rate was calculated. Data were analyzed by Probit analysis program to determine the knockdown time 50% and 90% (KDT50 and KDT90) values.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Study results showed that <it>Ph.sergenti </it>and <it>Ph. papatasi </it>were susceptible to all insecticides tested. Comparison of KDT values showed a clear difference between the insecticide knockdown effect in studied villages. This effect was lower in areas subject to high selective public health insecticide pressure in the framework of malaria or leishmaniasis control.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p><it>Phlebotomus sergenti </it>and <it>Ph. papatasi </it>are susceptible to the insecticides tested in the seven studied villages but they showed a low knockdown effect in Azilal, Chichaoua and Settat. Therefore, a study of insecticide susceptibility of these vectors in other foci of leishmaniasis is recommended and the level of their susceptibility should be regularly monitored.</p