Major prospects for exploring canine vector borne diseases and novel intervention methods using 'omic technologies

Canine vector-borne diseases (CVBDs) are of major socioeconomic importance worldwide. Although many studies have provided insights into CVBDs, there has been limited exploration of fundamental molecular aspects of most pathogens, their vectors, pathogen-host relationships and disease and drug resistance using advanced, 'omic technologies. The aim of the present article is to take a prospective view of the impact that next-generation, 'omics technologies could have, with an emphasis on describing the principles of transcriptomic/genomic sequencing as well as bioinformatic technologies and their implications in both fundamental and applied areas of CVBD research. Tackling key biological questions employing these technologies will provide a 'systems biology' context and could lead to radically new intervention and management strategies against CVBDs

Pathogen die-off in vermicomposting process

Vermicomposting has been utilised in waste management for a long time, as it is a good alternative to microbial composting. Vermicomposting toilets are an alternative to the common flush toilets to conserve water and reduce environment pollution due to disposal of sludge and wastewater from sewage treatment plants. The factors that are of main concern in using vermicomposted faecal matter in gardens are the health risks associated with the pathogens that are contained in faecal matter. Therefore this study investigated the pathogen die off in the vermicomposting process of human faecal matter. Faeces was collected in a Vermicom composting toilet using sawdust as a covering substrate. A portion of the samples was spiked with a known concentration of Escherichia coli, Enterococcus faecalis and Salmonella typhimurium. The faecal matter was then vermicomposted over a period of nine months. Sampling was undertaken monthly to determine the pathogen concentrations. The pathogen levels declined steadily over the composting period and were sufficiently reduced by the fourth month to the quality of class A or B composts according to the ARMCANZ (1995) guidelines for composts. A slight regrowth occurred in the sixth month. However, at the end of the composting period determined by the physical and chemical quality of compost, the pathogens declined to below detection levels

Vermiculture as a tool for domestic wastewater management

Organic waste management is a growing issue due to the unsustainable practices of its disposal. Sewage treatment plants are designed to treat wastewater to produce a safe effluent. However, one of the by-products, the sewage sludge which is disposed off in landfill or used as fertilizer in agricultural operation is high in pathogens. Sustainability can be achieved by Vermicomposting of organic matter which involves accelerated cycling of nutrients though a closed cycle whereby waste products are put to productive end use. Vermicomposting and vermifiltration are natural waste management processes relying on the use of worms to convert organic wastes to stable soil enriching compounds. Domestic wastewater management can be accommodated through these processes in a sustainable manner. A considerable reduction in pathogens has been noticed in the end product to a level that it can be safely applied to land. This paper provides an overview of the system characteristics of management systems utilising vermiculture, to manage wastewater. The process can be used in a small scale for household waste treatment to rural or urban waste management

A survey of synthetic and natural phytotoxic compounds and phytoalexins as potential antimalarial compounds.

The apicomplexan parasites pathogens such as Plasmodium spp. possess an apicoplast, a plastid organelle similar to those of plants. The apicoplast has some essential plant-like metabolic pathways and processes, making these parasites susceptible to inhibitors of these functions. The main objective of this paper is to det. if phytotoxins with plastid target sites are more likely to be good antiplasmodial compds. than are those with other modes of action. The antiplasmodial activities of some compds. with established phytotoxic action were detd. in vitro on a chloroquine (CQ) sensitive (D6, Sierra Leone) strain of Plasmodium falciparum. In this study, we provide in vitro activities of almost 50 such compds., as well as a few phytoalexins against P. falciparum. Endothall, anisomycin, and cerulenin had sufficient antiplasmodial action to be considered as new lead antimalarial structures. Some derivs. of fusicoccin possessed markedly improved antiplasmodial action than the parent compd. Our results suggest that phytotoxins with plastid targets may not necessarily be better antiplasmodials than those that act at other mol. sites. The herbicides, phytotoxins and the phytoalexins reported here with significant antiplasmodial activity may be useful probes for identification of new antimalarial drug targets and may also be used as new lead structures for new antiplasmodial drug discovery

Secondary metabolites of Thymelaea hirsuta, a plant collected from the Sicilian Island of Lampedusa

An investigation of the secondary metabolites was carried out on Thymelaea hirsuta collected from Lampedusa, the largest island of the Pelagie archipelago, located about 100 km from the North African coast and 200 km from the coast of Sicily. Ten compounds were isolated and found to belong to different classes of natural products as chromenes, cyclohexanones, furanyl, bis-furanyl and furanone polyphenols, and acrylates. Compounds 7, 8, 9 and 10 were slightly phytotoxic to lettuce reaching phytotoxicity of 1 (7, 8 and 9) and 2 (10) using a 1–5 point scale. None of the compounds were active against Agrostis stolonifera L., a perennial grass of the Poaceae family. Tested against three Colletotrichum species (C. acutatum, C. fragarie and C. gloeosporioides) pathogenic for agricultural plants, only compound 6 had activity against all three species, but it was not as active as captan, the commercial fungicide used as a positive control