The phospholipase B family (PLB) are enzymes sharing phospholipase (PL), lysophospholipase (LPL) and lysophospholipase-transacylase (LPTA) activities. They have been shown to be important virulence factors in several human fungal pathogens including Candida albicans and Cryptococcus neoformans. Aspergillus fumigatus, a human opportunistic fungal pathogen leading to a high rate of mortality in immunosuppressed patients is known to possess an extracellular phospholipase B activity. In this paper, we report the molecular characterisation of three PLB genes from A. fumigatus (afplb) using degenerate primers in PCR amplification and data from the A. fumigatus genome project. They are expressed at 37 degrees C, and two of them (afplb1 and afplb3) are induced by lecithin. They encode proteins of 633, 588 and 630 amino acids, respectively, presenting together a T-Coffee score of 81. They also possess the amino acid triad responsible for enzymatic activity in the mammalian cytosolic PLA2 and other fungal PLBs. AfPLB1 and afPLB3 are secreted with a cleaved signal peptide. The complete cDNA sequences were obtained by RACE-PCR for the two secreted afPLBs and probably account for the extracellular phospholipase activity previously reported in the culture media of A. fumigatus.

Background: Otomycosis is a superficial fungal infection often involves the pinna and external auditory canal. It is a pathologic condition, with Candida and Aspergillus, the most common fungal species. It is common worldwide but more prevalent in tropical and subtropical countries Objectives: The aim of this study was to determine the etiologic agents and local epidemiologic pattern of otomycosis in northwest Iran. Patients and Methods: A series of 140 patients with clinically symptomatic otomycosis were studied in 21 cities, towns, and villages throughout northwest Iran between 2009 and 2011. Clinical samples were collected by swabs and then assessed by mycological investigation. Results: Otomycosis was diagnosed in 129 cases (92%, 76 male, 53 female) with the highest prevalence of cases occurring in males between 21 - 40 years of age. From an etiological point of view, 116 patients (90%, 21 - 40 years old) were infected by saprophytic mold and 9 patients (7%) were infected by yeast. Three cases (2%) involved dermatophytes, and in one case (1%) the subject was infected with Eurotium (the perfect stage of Aspergillus fumigatus). Aspergillus niger was the most common mold that was isolated, followed by A. flavus, A. fumigatus, Penicillium spp., Fusarium spp., and Rhizopus spp. A total of 2 yeasts belonging to genus Candida, C. albicans and C. tropicalis, were isolated. Conclusions: Our study showed a high prevalence of otomycosis in the northwestern area of Iran. As such, proper diagnosis and treatment by aseptic techniques for this disease is urgently needed. Keywords: Otomycosis; Fungi; Yeasts; Aspergillus niger

Background: Nuts are one of the main consumed snacks worldwide and also have an important role among Iranian's food habits. Natural contamination of nuts with aflatoxin is unavoidable and causes a special challenge for nuts safety and quality. Objectives: The purpose of this research was to study the aflatoxin contamination in commercially-available nuts (pistachio, walnut and peanut) in the markets of Tabriz, Iran. Materials and Methods: Sixty two samples of 50 g salt-roasted peanuts and pistachios and 109 samples of 50 g pure pistachios, walnuts and peanuts were collected from different areas of local markets. After the initial preparations, ELISA test was performed for Aflatoxin measurement. Results: Result showed that walnut (90%) and pure pistachio (2.3%) were the most and least contaminated samples, respectively. Mean aflatoxin contamination in the salt-roasted samples (19.88 ± 19.41 µg/kg) was significantly higher than the pure ones (6.51 ± 9.4 µg/kg) (P < 0.001). Respectively, 58.6%, 48.4% and 47.6% of salt-roasted pistachios, salt-roasted peanuts and walnut samples had aflatoxin contamination, which were more than the maximum tolerated level of Iran (MTL, 15 ppb). Conclusions: It was concluded that aflatoxin content of nuts should be monitored regularly to minimize the risk of aflatoxin hazard and ensure the food safety and quality. Keywords: Aflatoxin; Nuts; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay

The rise of European science during the Renaissance is greatly indebted to the flourishing of the sciences during the Islamic Golden Age. However, some believe that medieval Islamic physicians and in particular surgeons had been merely a medium for Greco-Roman ideas. Contrarily, in some medieval Islamic medical books, such as Al-Tasrif of Al-Zahrawi (936–1013), the surgical instructions represent a change in the usual techniques or are accompanied by a case history, implying that the procedure was actually undertaken. Along with the hundreds of chapters on different diseases and related medical and surgical treatments, Al-Tasrif includes a chapter on surgical techniques for gynecomastia. The present paper is a review of the description of the surgical management of gynecomastia by Al-Zahrawi as well as that of the ancient Greek, medieval, and modern medicine. Although Al-Zahrawi seemed to base his descriptions of surgery for gynecomastia upon those of Paulus of Aegina, his modification of the procedure and application of the medicinal substances might be indicative of Al-Zahrawi’s own practice of the procedure. Al-Zahrawi’s surgical procedures remained unchanged for many centuries thenceforward until the technological evolution in the recent centuries.

Background: Myrtus communis L. is an evergreen perennial shrub belonging to the Myrtaceae family that is spontaneously growing throughout the Mediterranean area. Myrtle has demonstrated important antimicrobial and antifungal activities to treat bacterial and fungal diseases. Objectives: This study was aimed to develop a new method to evaluate the anti-fungal activity of hydroalcoholic extracts of Myrtle on dermatophytes by bioautography. Materials and Methods: The species used for this study were: Microsporum canis, M. gypseum and Trichophyton mentagrophytes. The fungi were kept on Sabouraud dextrose agar (SDA) slants at 4°C and subcultured monthly throughout this study. Various fractions were prepared from hydroalcoholic extracts based on polarity. The antifungal assay of different solvent extracts was performed by agar disc diffusion method. A thin layer chromatography (TLC) method was developed to carry out bioautography TLC, the same solvent system as that of bioautography was used. Results: Ethyl acetate and total methanolic extracts respectively had the best antifungal effects against three tested genera of dermatophytes. The ethyl acetate extract and methanolic extract that had the most inhibitory effect compared with any other fractions, were separated by solvent system (trifluroacetic acid, ethyl acetate, methanol, water: 0.1: 10: 0.04: 0.04) by TLC method. The best antifungal effects of the three fungi extracts was obtained in Rf: 0 - 0.3. Conclusions: The active compound may be a flavonoid. Existence of flavonoids in tested fractions could be the important medicinal properties of M. communis leaves. Further work is required to evaluate the exact effect of these biological compounds on animal model or human volunteers. Keywords: Myrtus communis L.; Antifungal Activity; Thin Layer Chromatography, Bioautography; Dermatophytes

Purpose: The present study was performed to examine whether caspofungin-coated gold nanoparticles (CAS-AuNPs) may offer the right platform for sensitivity induction in resistant isolates. Methods: A total of 58 archived Candida species were enrolled in the research. The identification of Candida spp. was performed using polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism and HWP1 gene amplification approaches. The conjugated CAS-AuNPs were synthesized and then characterized using transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and Zetasizer system to determine their morphology, size, and charge. Furthermore, the efficacy was assessed based on the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute M60. Finally, the interaction of CAS-AuNPs with Candida element was evaluated via scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Results: According to the TEM results, the synthesized CAS-AuNPs had a spherical shape with an average size of 20 nm. The Zeta potential of CAS-AuNPs was -38.2 mV. Statistical analyses showed that CAS-AuNPs could significantly reduce the minimum inhibitory concentration against C. albicans (P=0.0005) and non-albicans Candida (NAC) species (P<0.0001). All isolates had a MIC value of ≥ 4 µg/ml for CAS, except for C. glabrata. The results of SEM analysis confirmed the effects of AuNPs on the cell wall structure of C. globrata with the formation of pores. Conclusion: According to findings, CAS-AuNPs conjugates had significant antifungal effects against Candida spp. Therefore, it can be concluded that the encapsulation of antifungal drugs in combination with NPs not only diminishes side effects but also enhances the effectiveness of the medications.