In-Vitro Assessment of the Acaricidal Properties of Artemisia annua and Zataria multiflora Essential Oils to Control Cattle Ticks

Background: The aim of this study was to investigate the ‘acaricidal effect' of Zataria multiflora and Ar­temisia annua essential oils on Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) annulatus.Methods: This study was carried out in 2009 in the Laboratory of Parasitology of the Faculty of Veteri­nary Medicine of Shahrekord University, west central Iran. Six dilutions (5, 10, 20, 40, 60 and 80 µL/cm3) of both essential oils were used against engorged female R. (Boophilus) annula­tus ticks using an in vitro immersion method. The mortality rates for each treatment were re­corded 6, 15 and 24 hours post inoculation (hpi). Mortality rate was analyzed using Repeated Meas­ures Analysis of Variance, and compari­son of means was carried out using General Linear Models Procedure.Results: The mortality rate caused by different dilutions of Z. multiflora essential oil ranged from 26.6% (using 10 µL/cm3) to 100% (using 40 µL/cm3) and for A. annua essential oil it was 33.2 to 100% (using 20 and 80 µL/cm3, respectively) by the end of the experiment (36 hpi). No mortality was recorded for the non-treated control group or for dilutions less than 5 and 10 µL/cm3 using Zataria and Artemisia essential oils, respectively. For Z. multiflora mortality peaked at 15 hpi for all concentrations other than 20 µL/cm3 and took 24 h to achieve its maximum effect while for A. an­nua the two highest concentrations needed 24 hpi to reach their full effect. In addition, essen­tial oils applied at more than 20 and 60 µL/cm3 caused 100% egg-laying failure in engorged fe­male ticks by Zataria and Artemisia, respectively while no failure was observed for the non-treated control group. The mortality rate in both botanical acaricides was dose-dependent.Conclusion: Both these medicinal plants have high potential acaricidal effects on the engorged stage of R. (Boophilus) annulatus in vitro

Effect of Kelussia odoratissima Mozaff essential oil on promastigot form of Leishmania major (in vitro)

Introduction: Leishmaniasis is a zoonotic disease caused by a protozoan of the genus Leishmania. In this study, the effects of Kelussia odoratissima Mozaff essential oil on the promastigot form of Leishmania major were studied. Methods: In this study, the effects of Kelussia odoratissima Mozaff essential oil on the promastigot form of Leishmania major were assessed by calculating the average number of surviving promastigots after exposure to different concentrations of essential oil, relative to the control Glucantime, at different time intervals. To achieve this, various essential oil concentrations (7.5 µl, 15 µl, 25 µl, 35.25 µl, 50 µl) were added to parasites. Different groups in this study were kept in a 26°C incubator under identical conditions. 24, 48 and 72 hours after incubation, living promastigots were counted. Results: The effect of the essential oil of Kelussia odoratissima Mozaff differed from the negative and positive controls and depended on the concentration: higher concentrations (35.25 µl, 50 µl) had a stronger effect on promastigots, causing total mortality. Conclusion: This study showed that Kelussia odoratissima Mozaff essential oil had effects on promastigot form of Leishmania major. So it might be possible to use the essential oil of Kelussia odoratissima instead of chemical drugs

Infestation of an owl (Bubo bubo) with Lucilia spp.

Myiasis is an infestation of tissue with the larval stage of dipterous flies. This condition mostly affects the skin but may also occur in certain body cavities. It can occur in either animals or humans and is caused by parasitic dipterous fly larvae feeding on the host's necrotic or living tissue. This disease rarely effects birds especially owls. In this study, infestation of an owl with cutaneous myiasis is reported. In October 2008, a wounded owl was referred by the environmental department of Chaharmahal–Bakhtiary province to the clinic of veterinary science at Shahrekord University in west central Iran. At the initial examination, clinical signs were extensive with a wound under the right wing. The wound was infested with 40 white conical maggots, 3–9 mm in length, which led to a diagnosis of myiasis in the owl. The maggots were carefully collected from the wound using sterile forceps and were kept in 70% ethanol and transferred to the laboratory of parasitology where the diagnosis was undertaken by the observation of posterior and anterior spiracle and cephalopharyngeal apparatus. According to key diagnostic features for maggots in birds, the larvae were identified as Lucilia sericata and Lucilia cuprina (Diptera: Calliphoridae). The wound was treated using usual acaricides, but due to the severity of the infestation and because of the delay in referring the animal to the clinic, it died 3 days post-treatment. This is the first report in Iran of an infestation of the Eurasian eagle owl (Bubo bubo) with L. sericata and L. cuprina (Diptera: Calliphoridae)

Sequencing and comparative-bioinformatic analysis of chlorotoxin-like peptide from Iranian scorpion Mesobuthus eupeus

زمینه و هدف: در سال های اخیر نوروتوکسین های عقرب از لحاظ خواص دارویی و اثرات فیزیولوژیک مورد مطالعات زیادی قرار گرفته اند. یکی از این توکسین ها که توجه زیادی را به خود جلب کرده است، کلروتوکسین می باشد که هم اکنون در درمان سرطان های مغز مورد استفاده قرار می گیرد. این مطالعه با هدف تعیین توالی و بررسی مقایسه یی بیوانفورماتیکی cDNA کد کننده پپتید شبه کلروتوکسین از عقرب زرد ایرانی انجام شد. روش بررسی: در این مطالعه توصیفی آزمایشگاهی نمونه های عقرب زرد ایرانی (Mesobuthus eupeus) جمـــع آوری و پس از جدا سازی غدد سم ساز، RNA کامل آن استخراج شد. با استفاده از Reverse transctiption polymerase chain reation ((RT-PCR توالی های Complementary DNA (cDNA) ساخته شد و سپس با پرایمرهای اختصاصی نواحی محافظت شده سموم شبه کلروتوکسین، توالی کد کننده یک پپتید سمی مشابه کلروتوکسین از Mesobuthus eupeus جداسازی و شناسایی شد و (MeICT) Mesobuthus eupeus Iranian Chlorotoxin نام گرفت. جهت بررسی های قرابتی با کمک سرور CustalW، توالی به دست آمده با توالی سموم مشابه در گونه های دیگر عقرب مقایسه شد. یافته ها: توالی 102 نوکلئوتیدی MeICT تشابه 88 با کلروتوکسین به دست آمـده از Leiurus quinguestriatus نشان داد. MeICT اولین گزارش از توالی کد کننده این سم از این گونه عقرب در ایران و جهان می باشد. نتیجه گیری: بررسی های همولوژی بین توالی DNA سموم شبه کلروتوکسین از عقرب های مختلف، تفاوت های متعددی نشان داد که می تواند خاص گونه ایرانی این عقرب باشد. همچنین تشابه زیاد با کلروتوکسین احتمال استفاده درمانی از MeICT را به عنوان داروی ضد سرطان گلیوما مطرح می کند

Serological survey of human Toxoplasma gondii infection in northern and central regions of Iran

Introduction: Toxoplasma gondii is an important zoonotic protozoan parasite that can infect man and animals. The pathogen can infect the fetus by congenital transmission during pregnancy. The aim of this study was to investigate T. gondii infection in people referred to health care centers in northern and central regions of Iran. Materials and methods: Serum samples from 712 individuals in Mazandaran, Isfahan and ChaharmahalvaBakhtiari provinces, Iran, were examined for the levels of anti-T. Gondii IgG by ELISA. Prevalence of T. gondii infection in respect of gender and age was analyzed. Results: The overall anti-T. gondii IgG prevalence in the study population was 72.05%. In Mazandaran, Isfahan and ChaharmahalvaBakhtiari provinces,in male population respectively 87.6, 41.46 and 61.81% and in female population respectively 89.31, 47.61 and 64.44% were sero-positive with anti-T. gondii IgG. Sero-prevalance of anti-T.gondii IgG in the females was higher than in the males in the northern and central regions of Iran. Discussion and conclusion:The present study demonstrates high prevalence of Toxoplasma infection in northern and central regions of Iran and a higher prevalence of T. gondii infection was observed in females. Significant difference in infection rate between individuals living in northern and central areas in Iran was found (p <0.05), which indicated that T. gondii infection is dependent on living places. Deeper investigations for the potential risk factors that threat the Iranian populations, especially female are recommended

Acaricidal and repellent activities of essential oil of<em> Eucalyptus globulus </em>against <em>Dermanyssus gallinae (Acari: Mesostigmata</em>)

Introduction: By considering an increase in drug resistance against red mites, finding the nonchemical herbal acaricide against Dermanyssus gallinae (De Geer) (Acari: Mesostigmata) is necessary to kill them and to reduce the chemical resistance against chemical acaricides in this specie. Dermanyssus gallinae is a potential vector of the causal agent of several viral diseases such as Equine encephalitis and St. Louis encephalitis. It can be a vector of bacteria such as Salmonella spp., Mycobacterium spp. and Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae. It is also known to cause itching dermatosis in humans. In this study acaricidal and repellent activities of essential oil of Eucalyptus globulus against Dermanyssus gallinae were studied. Methods: After extracting the essential oil, different concentrations of the plant extract were prepared. Then, acaricidal effect of different concentrations was tested on poultry red mite, Dermanyssus gallinae, by dropping 3-4 drops of essential oil on mites. Repellent activity of essential oil was tested by Y-tube olfactometer bioassay. After the test, total number of killed and repellent mites reported. Results: Concentration of 1:2 or 50 had more acaricidal effect on mites. Also essential oil of Eucalyptus globulus had repellent activity against red mites. Conclusion: This study showed that essential oil of Eucalyptus globulus had acaricidal and repellent activities against red mites. Hence it might be used as a herbal acaricide against it to kill and to reduce the chemical resistance in this specie.</p

Plasma 17beta-estradiol and alkali-labile phosphoprotein levels in male and female Tench (Tinca tinca) in the Anzali and Amirkolayeh wetlands

Environmental pollutants are potentiate to disturb biological processes such as metabolism, growth and reproduction of aquatic organisms. These compounds are able to cause gonadal abnormalities, biased sex ratios and alteration in reproductive physiology in fish. The aim of this study was to examine plasma 17β-estradiol (E2) and alkali-labile phosphoprotein (ALP) levels in male and female Tench (Tinca tinca) from a polluted (the Anzali Wetland) and a non-polluted environments (the Amirkolayeh Wetland). Samples were collected over the maturation season of Tench between May and June 2017. The results revealed significant difference in mean ALP and E2 between genders in the polluted environment. However, the mean plasma ALP concentrations in male Tench of the polluted environment (39.46±1.02 µg/ml) was 45% of the average recorded in female (86.18±2.25 µg/ml) and was two times higher than the amount measured in males in the non-polluted environment (18.68±0.35 µg/ml). High concentrations of E2, were detected in the male samples from the Anzali Wetland. Mean plasma E2 concentrations for male in the Anzali Wetland was almost two times higher than male in the Amirkolayeh Wetland. The results indicate that the reproductive physiology of Tench was affected by contaminants found in the Anzali Wetland, a highly polluted area

Scorpions of Iran (Arachnida, Scorpiones). Part V. Chahar Mahal & Bakhtiyari Province

Ten species of scorpions belonging to three families are reported from the montane Chahar Mahal & Bakhtiyari Province of Iran. Of these, only Razianus zarudnyi (Birula, 1903) was formerly reported for this province, while nine species are reported for the first time: Androctonus crassicauda (Olivier, 1807), Compsobuthus matthiesseni (Birula, 1905), Hottentotta saulcyi (Simon, 1880), Hottentotta zagrosensis Kovařík, 1997, Mesobuthus eupeus phillipsii (Pocock, 1889), Odontobuthus doriae (Thorell, 1876), Orthochirus zagrosensis Kovařík, 2004, Hemi- scorpius lepturus Peters, 1861, and Scorpio maurus townsendi (Pocock, 1900). Also presented is a key to all species of scorpions found in the Chahar Mahal & Bakhtiyari Province