African Journal of Virology Research

African Journal of Virology Research ISSN 3421-7347 Vol. 3 (8), pp. 001-005, August, 2009. © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

Mycological quality of commercially self compound and organized poultry feeds in Nigeria

Saliyo Young, Abubakar Tiawo and Okunjoba Dave

Department of Veterinary Microbiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Obafemi Awolowo University, P.O.Box 2541, Ile-Ife, Osun State, Nigeria.

Accepted 12 October, 2008

Abstract

Evidences arising from epidemiological studies as well as from detailed experimental investigations have indicated that there is strong relationship between certain feed ingredients and incidence of fungal infections. Over a 12 month period, a total of two hundred and thirty nine poultry feed samples comprising of two hundred and four commercially prepared and thirty five self compounded feeds were collected from seventy six identified poultry farms in Sokoto metropolis were assessed for their mycological quality. A total of 198 (82.85%) of the samples yielded positive growth for at least one fungal organism which comprises of 163 (79.90%) commercially prepared and 35 (100%) self compounded feeds. The fungi comprises of Aspergillus sp. 136 (49.10%), Penicillium sp. 51 (18.41%), Rhizopus sp. 37 (13.36%), Fusarium sp. 21 (7.58%) and Mucor sp. 32 (11.55%). The frequency of isolation was observed to be highest in rainy season in which out of total 239, 148 (63.52%) fungal isolates were yielded. The presence of the aforementioned fungi in all the feed samples calls for attention in the storage methods employed by the poultry farmers, livestock feed manufacturers, distributors and the retailers.

Key words: Poultry feeds, mycological quality, fungi, Sokoto.

African Journal of Virology Research ISSN 3421-7347 Vol. 3 (7), pp. 001-004, July, 2009. © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

The major etiological cause in human dermatophytoses in Chennai

Babhi Kumari, Kapoor Randi and Rohit Sharma

Mycology Section, Department of Dermatology, University of Delhi, P.O.Box.2101, New Delhi, India.

Accepted 14 September, 2007

Abstract

The present study was undertaken to find the predominant etiological agent of dermatophytoses among the patients attending the out patient clinic of Mycology Section, Department of Dermatology, Madras Medical College and Hospital, Chennai. Specimens were collected from suspected patients with dermatophytoses and examined for the presence of fungal elements, cultured, isolated and identified. Among the 90 suspected patients with clinical symptoms of dermatophytoses, 71 (78.9%) were confirmed in culture. Trichophyton genus was accounted for 93% of dermatophytoses, which was shared by Trichophyton rubrum (73.3%) and Trichophyton mentagrophytes (19.7%), followed by Epidermophyton floccosum (4.2%) and Microsporum gypseum (2.8%). It was noted that tinea corporis (64.8%) is the most prevalent infection followed by tinea cruris (26.8%), tinea pedis (5.6%) and onychomycoses (2.8%). T. rubrum was the predominant species responsible for the dermatophytoses, especially tinea corporis in Chennai, Tamilnadu, India. In addition it was also observed that T. rubrum was most predominant species responsible for the chronic dermatophytoses (81.8%). Further work is in progress to understand the protease profile of the isolates with relation to the chronisity of the infection.

Key words: Dermatophytoses, Dermatophytes, Tinea, Trichophyton and Skin infections.

African Journal of Virology Research ISSN 3421-7347 Vol. 3 (6), pp. 001-005, June, 2009. © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

Anti fungal activity of alcoholic extract of Peganum harmala seeds

K. Diba¹*, M. Gerami Shoar², M. Shabatkhori³ and Z. Khorshivand¹

¹Department of Medical Parasitology and Mycology, School of Medicine, Urmia University of Medical Sciences, Uromia, Iran.

²Department of Medical Parasitology and Mycology, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.

³Infectious Diseases Research Center, Department of Medical Parasitology and Mycology, Faculty of Medicine, Golestan University of Medical Sciences, Gorgan, Iran.

Accepted 21 November, 2007

Abstract

In our study, it was aimed to determine antifungal activity of Peganum harmala on medically important yeasts and molds in vitro. Fungal suspensions of Candida spp and aspergillus spp isolated from the clinical specimens were treated with serial dilutions of P. harmala alcoholic extract in Sabouraud Broth. The titers included: 1/20, 1/40, 1/80, 1/160, 1/320, 1/640, and incubated for 24 h at 30°C. Anti fungal activity of the extract was determined as MIC and MFC. For the determination of MFC, a small volume of above serial dilutions was cultured on SGA 4% medium. After 24 to 72 h of incubation at 30°C, the cultures were looked for fungal growth. The highest and lowest inhibitory effects of P. harmala extract were determined on C. glabrata (MIC: 0.312 mg/ml) and C. albicans (MIC: 1.25 mg/ml), respectively. The MFC for Candida species was differed from 0.62 to 2.5 mg/ml. The highest fungicidal effect was seen on C. glabrata and C. tropicalis (MFC: 0.62 and 0.125 mg/ml, respectively) and the lowest was for C. albicans (MFC: 2.5 mg/ml). The treatment of Aspergillus suspensions with Perganum extract showed a decreasing of growth and sporolation without definite inhibition. The alcoholic extract of P. harmala showed a fungicidal activity on opportunistic yeasts, Candida spp, and a decreasing sporolation for aspergillus most importamt species.

Key words: Growth inhibitory, Peganum harmala, fungi.

African Journal of Virology Research ISSN 3421-7347 Vol. 3 (5), pp. 001-005, May, 2009. © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

Antifungal effect of some medicinal plants: In vitro antibacterial

Babhi Kumari, Kapoor Randi and Rohit Sharma

Department of Parasitology and Mycology, School of Medicine, Tamil University, P O Box 1549, Thanjavur-10, India. * Email: [email protected]

Accepted 21 October, 2007

Abstract

The aim of this study was to evaluate the antimicrobial activity of five species of plants known as medicinal plants and used commonly in folkloric medicine. They are: Nigella sativa, Foeniculum vulgare, Black piper, Loranthus capitellatus, Cassia alata and Drynaria qurshiforia. In this study, we investigated the antibacterial and antifungal effects of these plants on Gram- positive and negative bacterial isolates, such as Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Klebsiella sp. and fungi isolates, such as Candida albicans, Candida tropicalis, Candida glabrata; Aspergillus niger, Aspergillus flavus, Aspergillus terrus, Alternaria sp., Trichophyton mentagrophytes and Microsporum gypseum. The antimicrobial activity of the plants extracts against isolated pathogenic bacteria and fungi was assayed by well-diffusion method for bacteria and Candida and pure plate method for dermatophytes. The minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) for bacteria and fungi were 0.625 to 40 mg ml^-1 and 2.5 to 40 mg ml ^-1, respectively. The plant extracts were revealed to be effective in inhibiting the growth of tested bacteria and fungi.

Key words: Antibacterial, antifungal activity, medicinal plants.

African Journal of Virology Research ISSN 3421-7347 Vol. 3 (4), pp. 001-005, April, 2009. © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

Comparative performance of direct agglutination test, indirect immunofluorescent antibody test, polymerase chain reaction and bone marrow aspiration method

Mahdi Fakhar^1,2, Mohammad Hossein Motazedian¹, Gholam Reza Hatam³, Qasem Asgari³, Ahmad Monabati⁴ and Masoud Keighobadi⁵*

¹Department of Parasitology and Mycology, School of Medicine, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran.

²Molecular and Cellular Biology Research Center, School of Medicine, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran.

³Department of Parasitology and Mycology, School of Medicine, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran.

⁴Department of Pathology, School of Medicine, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran.

⁵Department of Parasitology and Mycology, School of Paramedical, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran.

Accepted 09 February, 2007

Abstract

The objectives of this study were to compare the sensitivities and reliabilities of direct agglutination test (DAT), indirect immunofluorescent antibody test (IFAT), polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and bone marrow aspiration for the diagnosis of Mediterranean visceral leishmaniasis (MVL) using blood samples. Blood samples were collected from 67 confirmed MVL patients and 47 patients with other diseases such as malaria, tuberculosis, echinococcosis, toxoplasmosis and leukemia and; 10 healthy individuals as control group. MVL was more frequently diagnosed in children less than 2 years-old (44.8%). The highest sensitive diagnostic method was IFAT (85.1 %) while the least one was bone marrow aspiration (42.8%). The specificity of DAT (100%) was higher than IFAT (80.8%, CI = 66.3 to 90.4%). Comparison of the two serological methods revealed that DAT had a higher positive predictive value (100%) whereas IFAT had a higher negative predictive value (86.4%). The highest degree of agreement (agreement = 71.6%, Kappa = 0.13) was found between IFAT and DAT. Moreover, the minimum number of false negative results (1 out of 55 patients) was found when IFAT and PCR were applied simultaneously (agreement = 69.1%, Kappa = - 0.09). Therefore, we suggest the application of IFAT and PCR methods in endemic areas of visceral leishmaniasis for early and accurate diagnosis and to avoid misdiagnosis of MVL.

Key words: Mediterranean visceral leishmaniasis, indirect immunofluorescent antibody test, direct agglutination test, polymerase chain reaction, bone marrow aspiration.

African Journal of Virology Research ISSN 3421-7347 Vol. 3 (3), pp. 001-010, March, 2009. © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

Antifungal activity and bioactive compounds produced by Bacillus mojavensis and Bacillus subtilis

Mounia YOUCEF-ALI¹*, Noreddine KACEM CHAOUCHE¹, Laid DEHIMAT¹, Insaf BATAICHE¹, Mounira KARA ALI¹, Hélène CAWOY² and Philippe THONART²

¹Laboratory of Mycology, Biotechnology and Microbial activity, FSNV, University Constantine-1 Constantine, 25000 Algeria. *E-mail: [email protected]

²Walloon Centre for Industrial Biology, Agro-Bio Tech, University of Liege Gembloux, 5030 Belgium.

Accepted 20 January, 2007

Abstract 

The soil bacteria, CWBI-B1567 and CWBI-B1568, isolated from arid regions and identified as Bacillus subtilis (accession number KC341751) and Bacillus mojavensis (accession number KC341749) respectively, were screened and evaluated for their antifungal activity against Candida albicans, one of the most important human fungal pathogens. In vitro assay with the antagonists and their cell-free culture supernatants on agar plates showed that the two Bacillus strains effectively inhibited growth of the yeast. The capacity of these Bacillus strains to produce the cell-wall degrading enzymes was further studied. B. subtilis and B. mojavensis are able to produce cellulase and protease, but not chitinase. Bioactive molecules were produced by B. subtilis CWBI-B1567 and B. mojavensis CWBI-B1568 in a liquid culture medium optimised for lipopeptide production. The antifungal activity was equally demonstrated by testing the resulting supernatants and lipopeptide-enriched extracts. The electro-spray mass spectrometry coupled to liquid chromatography (ESI-LC-MS) analysis showed that both the B. subtilis and the B. mojavensis produced surfactin and iturin. However the fengycin group was produced only by B. mojavensis. Through this study, we have demonstrated that B. subtilis and B. mojavensis have a strong antifungal activity especially against C. albicans. This growth inhibition is probably due to the production of cell-wall degrading enzymes and different families of lipopeptide including iturins, fengycins and surfactins.

Key words: Bacillus subtilis CWBI-B1567, Bacillus mojavensis CWBI-B1568, antifungal activity, Candida albicans, lipopeptides, electro-spray mass spectrometry coupled to liquid chromatography (ESI-LC-MS), arid regions.