Background: Myrtus communis (M. communis) is a wild aromatic plant used for traditional herbal medicine that can be demonstrated in insecticidal, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antimicrobial activity of its essential oils (MCEO). Aim: The present study aimed to evaluate the prophylactic effects of M. communis essential oil (MCEO) against chronic toxoplasmosis induced by the Tehran strain of Toxoplasma gondii in mice. Methods: Gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) analysis was performed to determine the chemical composition of MCEO. Mice were then orally administrated with MCEO at the doses of 100, 200, and 300 mg/kg/day and also atovaquone 100 mg/kg for 21 days. On the 15th day, the mice were infected with the intraperitoneal inoculation of 20–25 tissue cysts from the Tehran strain of T. gondii. The mean numbers of brain tissue cysts and the mRNA levels of IL-12 and IFN-γ in mice of each tested group were measured. Results: By GC/MS, the major constituents were α-pinene (24.7%), 1,8-cineole (19.6%), and linalool (12.6%), respectively. The results demonstrated that the mean number of T. gondii tissue cysts in experimental groups Ex1 (p < 0.05), Ex2 (p < 0.001) and Ex3 (p < 0.001) was meaningfully reduced in a dose-dependent manner compared with the control group (C2). The mean diameter of tissue cyst was significantly reduced in mice of the experimental groups Ex2 (p < 0.01) and Ex3 (p < 0.001). The results demonstrated that although the mRNA levels of IFN-γ and IL-12 were elevated in all mice of experimental groups, a significant increase (p < 0.001) was observed in tested groups of Ex2 and Ex3 when compared with control groups. Conclusion: The findings of the present study demonstrated the potent prophylactic effects of MCEO especially in the doses 200 and 300 mg/kg in mice infected with T. gondii. Although the exceptional anti-Toxoplasma effects of MCEO and other possessions, such as improved innate immunity and low toxicity are positive topics, there is, however, a need for more proof from investigations in this field.

The utilization of fermented foods with health-promoting properties is becoming more popular around the world. Consequently, kefir, a fermented milk beverage made from kefir grains, was shown in numerous studies to be a probiotic product providing significant health benefits. Herein, we assessed the antibacterial and antifungal potential of kefir against a variety of pathogenic bacteria and fungi. This study also showed the effectiveness of kefir in healing wounds in human gastric epithelial cells (GES-1) by (80.78%) compared with control (55.75%) within 48 h. The quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) results of kefir-treated HCV- or HBV- infected cells found that 200 µg/mL of kefir can eliminate 92.36% of HCV and 75.71% of HBV relative to the untreated infected cells, whereas 800 µg/mL (the highest concentration) completely eradicated HCV and HBV. Moreover, the estimated IC₅₀ values of kefir, at which HCV and HBV were eradicated by 50%, were 63.84 ± 5.81 µg/mL and 224.02 ± 14.36 µg/mL, correspondingly. Kefir can significantly suppress the elevation of TNF-α and upregulate IL-10 and INF-γ in both treated HCV- and HBV-infected cells. High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis of kefir revealed the presence of numerous active metabolites which mainly contribute to the antimicrobial, antiviral, and immunomodulatory activities. This study demonstrated, for the first time, the anti-HBV efficacy of kefir while also illustrating the immunomodulatory impact in the treated HBV-infected cells. Accordingly, kefir represents a potent antiviral agent against both viral hepatitis C and B, as well as having antimicrobial and wound healing potential.

Background: In this experimental study, we aimed to assess the acaricidal effects of Elettaria cardamomum L. essential oil (ECEO) against Hyalomma anatolicum tick in cattle from Saudi Arabia. Methods: Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) was performed to identify the chemical composition of ECEO. The acaricidal, larvicidal, and repellent activity of ECEO against H. anatolicum was studied through the adult immersion test (AIT), the larval packet test (LPT), the vertical movement behavior of tick’s larvae technique, anti-acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity, and oxidative enzyme activity. Results: By GC/MS, the most compounds were 1,8-cineole (34.3%), α-terpinyl acetate (23.3%), and α-pinene (17.7%), respectively. ECEO significantly (p < 0.001) increased the mortality rate as a dose-dependent response. After ECEO Treatment, number of eggs, egg weight, and hatchability significantly declined as a dose-dependent response. ECEO at concentrations of 5 µL/mL and above completely killed the larva. The LC₅₀ and LC₉₀ values for ECEO were 1.46 and 2.68 µL/mL, respectively. ECEO at concentrations of 10, 20, and 40 µL/mL showed 100% repellency activity up to 60, 120, and 360 min incubation, respectively. ECEO, especially at ½ LC₅₀ and LC_50, significantly inhibited GST and AChE activities of H. anatolicum larvae compared to the control group. Conclusions: We found promising adulticidal, larvicidal, and repellent effects of ECEO against H. anatolicum as a vector of theileriosis in Saudi Arabia. We also found that ECEO displayed these activities through inhibiting AChE and GST. Nevertheless, additional investigations are required to confirm the accurate mechanisms and the relevance of ECEO in practical application.

This current in vitro , ex vivo , and in vivo research aims to evaluate and analyze the linalool-zinc oxide nanocomposite (Lin-ZNP) for treating cystic echinococcosis. Lin-ZNP was synthesized using an ethanolic solution of polyvinyl alcohol. The protoscolicidal effects of Lin-ZNP were tested on hydatid cyst protoscoleces (PTS) in both in vitro and ex vivo by eosin exclusion test. The study also examined the impact on caspase-3 gene expression and the external structure of PTS. The in vivo effect was measured by examining hydatid cysts' quantity, dimensions, and weight in mice intraperitoneally infected with 0.5 mL of PTS solution containing 1,000 PTS. The antioxidant and inflammatory cytokine gene expression levels were examined using real-time PCR. Lin-ZNP significantly ( P < 0.001) killed the PTS in both in vitro and ex vivo in a dose- and time-dependent manner. The treated PTS exhibited creases and protrusions as a result of bleb formation and upregulation in the gene expression of caspase-3. Upon treatment with Lin-ZNP, there was a significant ( P < 0.001) reduction in the number, diameter, and weight of the hydatid cysts. Treatment with Lin-ZNP nanocomposite led to a significant increase in the expression of antioxidant genes and a notable decrease in oxidative stress markers, and the expression levels of IL-4 and IL-10. Lin-ZNP has the potential to act as a scolicidal agent and demonstrates promise in controlling hydatid cysts in a mouse model, attributed to its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. However, additional studies in clinical trials are needed to confirm the use of Lin-ZNP for treating hydatidosis.

Chlamydia pneumonia, a species of the family Chlamydiacea, is a leading cause of pneumonia. Failure to eradicate C. pneumoniae can lead to chronic infection, which is why it is also considered responsible for chronic inflammatory disorders such as asthma, arthritis, etc. There is an urgent need to tackle the major concerns arising due to persistent infections caused by C. pneumoniae as no FDA-approved drug is available against this chronic infection. In the present study, an approach named subtractive proteomics was employed to the core proteomes of five strains of C. pneumonia using various bioinformatic tools, servers, and software. However, 958 non-redundant proteins were predicted from the 4754 core proteins of the core proteome. BLASTp was used to analyze the non-redundant genes against the proteome of humans, and the number of potential genes was reduced to 681. Furthermore, based on subcellular localization prediction, 313 proteins with cytoplasmic localization were selected for metabolic pathway analysis. Upon subsequent analysis, only three cytoplasmic proteins, namely 30S ribosomal protein S4, 4-hydroxybenzoate decarboxylase subunit C, and oligopeptide binding protein, were identified, which have the potential to be novel drug target candidates. The Swiss Model server was used to predict the target proteins’ three-dimensional (3D) structure. The molecular docking technique was employed using MOE software for the virtual screening of a library of 15,000 phytochemicals against the interacting residues of the target proteins. Molecular docking experiments were also evaluated using molecular dynamics simulations and the widely used MM-GBSA and MM-PBSA binding free energy techniques. The findings revealed a promising candidate as a novel target against C. pneumonia infections.

Trends in routine laboratory tests, such as high white blood cell and low platelet counts, correlate with COVID-19-related intensive care unit (ICU) admissions. Other related biomarkers include elevated troponin, alanine aminotransferase, and aspartate transaminase levels (liver function tests). To this end, the aim of this study was to investigate the effect of changes in laboratory test parameters on ward-based and ICU COVID-19 patients. A total of 280 COVID-19 patients were included in the study and were divided based on admission status into ICU (37) or ward (243) patients. ICU admission correlated significantly with higher levels of several tested parameters, including lactate dehydrogenase, creatinine, D-dimer, creatine kinase, white blood cell count, and neutrophil count. In conclusion, routine laboratory tests offer an indication of which COVID-19 patients are most likely to be admitted to the ICU. These associations can assist healthcare providers in addressing the needs of patients who are at risk of COVID-19 complications.