Parasites are a significant component of biodiversity. They negatively affect fish appearance, growth, and reproduction. In this study, the prevalence of infection, diversity, and mean intensity of parasites were examined in 9 freshwater fish species (45 samples per fish species). Ecto-parasites were examined on the skin, gills, and fins with a hand lens. Wet mounts were prepared using mucosal scrapings from all the external and internal organs of the sampled fish. Microscopy, muscle compression, and the pepsin-HCL artificial digestion technique were also performed. In this study, 26 species of parasites were identified including three taxa belonging to 9 species of protozoan parasites, 11 treamtodes, and 6 monogenean parasites. The identified protozoan parasites were Entamoeba histolitica, Chilodonella sp., Coccidia sp., Costia sp., Cryptobia sp., Ichthyopthiris-multifilis, Microsporidia, Piscinoodinium sp., and Ichthyobodo necator. The identified trematode parasites were Fasciola gigantica, Echinostoma revolutum, Fasciola hepatica, Haplorchis pumilio, Brachylaima cribbi, Echinostoma cinetorchis, Neascus sp., Deropegus sp., Trematode Soldier, Centrocestus formosanus, and Clinostomum marginatum. The identified monogenean parasites were Dactylogyrus limipopoensis, Dactylogyrus anchoratus, Dactylogyrus myersi, Dactylogyrus vastator, Gyrodactylus salaris, and Ancyrocephalus. The diversity of parasites was maximum at the Okara site. The host’s organs that were targeted for parasitic infection included the intestine, liver, gills, fins, skin, and kidneys. The majority of the parasites were identified in Labeo rohita followed by Hypophthalmichthys molitrix, Ctenopharyngodon idella, Oreochromis niloticus, Cyprinus carpio, and Wallagu attu. Two species appeared to be resistant species because none of the parasites were observed in Notopterus notopterus or Sperata seenghala. This study also concluded that the prevalence of parasites increased with increasing length, size, and age of fish.

Background. Termites, notorious for causing significant damage to crops, plantation forests, and buildings, pose a serious threat as pests. Conventional control methods rely on the use of insecticides, which have been reported to be hazardous to various other forms of life as well. In contrast, lower termites host protozoa in their gut, facilitating cellulose digestion through the release of cellulase enzymes. Method. This study explored the efficacy of ethanolic leaf extracts from two medicinal plants namely Piper nigrum and Tamarindus indica against Heterotermes indicola (Wasmann). GC-MS analysis of the plant extracts revealed their distinct chemical compositions. Results. The T. indica extract comprised compounds such as Benzene, 1,1’(1-methylethylidene) Bis [4-methoxy, 3-0-Methyl-d-glucose, Benzoic acid, 3,4,5-trihydroxy-, methyl ester, 9,12,15, octadecatyrien-1-ol, (Z, Z, Z), 1,3,3-Trimethyl-2-hydroxymethyl3,3-dimethyl-4-(3-methylbut-2-enyl), Di-n-decylsulfone, and 2R-Acetoxymethyl-1,3,5-trimethyl4c-(3-methyl-2-buten-1-yl)-1ccyclohexanol. On the other hand, P. nigrum extract contained Octacosanol, Urs-12-en-24-oic acid, 3-oxo-, methyl ester, (+)-, B-Amyrin, Behenic alcohol, and Humulane-1,6-dien-3-ol. Both plant extracts exhibited repellent properties against H. indicola. Conclusion. The LC50 values for T. indica and P. nigrum were found to be 14.83% and 12.20%, respectively. While, the LC90 values for T. indica and P. nigrum were -4.26% and -1.19%, respectively.

Termite infestation poses a significant threat to structural integrity and agricultural productivity worldwide. This study was conducted to investigate the efficacy of ethanolic extracts of Acacia nilotica and Eucalyptus camaldulensis against Coptotermes heimi, focusing on mortality and repellency. The ethanoloic leaf extract of E. camaldulensis showed mortality of 79.33% at 30% concentration while A. nilotica at 30% of concentration revealed a mortality of 74.66%. The LC50 value of E. camaldulensis was 7.70% while that of A. nilotica was 13.03%. Both plants were found repellent against C. heimi, but A. nilotica was non-repellent at 10% concentration. Additionally, an analysis of Gas-Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC/MS) was performed to identify and quantify the chemical constituents present in the plant extracts. The GC/MS analysis of E. camaldulensis revealed an important compound Eucalyptol, which has the highest percentage composition of 57.81 % while GC/MS of A. nilotica contains a high concentration of γ-Sitosterol along with Vitamin E and Behenic-alcohol. This study underscores the potential of A. nilotica and E. camaldulensis leaf extracts as ecofriendly alternatives for termite control.

The study aims to create nickel oxide nanoparticles (NiONPs) from Allium sativum (garlic) and Cinnamomum verum (cinnamon) extracts alongside their antibacterial evaluation against Bacillus cereus, Klebsiella pneumoniae, and Enterobacter aerogenes. Garlic and cinnamon extracts were prepared using Soxhlet extraction and macerated with distilled water. Nickel oxide nanoparticles (NiONPs) were synthesized by mixing 6 g of nickel nitrate with 50 mL of each extract, followed by heating, centrifugation, and UV-vis characterization. Antibacterial activity was evaluated using the well diffusion method against S. aureus, E. aerogenes, and E. coli. UV-Vis spectroscopy results showed that NiONP synthesis was successful because of better UV absorption properties. The antibacterial activity assessment used the zone of inhibition method, while ANOVA evaluated data statistically. The combination of Allium sativum and Cinnamomum verum extracts and NiONPs demonstrated significantly increased antibacterial effectiveness. Results indicated that protection zones enlarged proportionally after increased extract amounts and NiONPs in each trial. ANOVA results show the emergence of significant antibacterial differences between the examined bacterial strains. The combined effects of NiONPs with plant extracts improve antibacterial performance through increased bacterial interaction surfaces, ROS generation, bacterial biofilm penetration, and effective NiONP-phytochemical interactions.

The South Asian subterranean termite, Heterotermes indicola is a serious hazard to agriculture due to its destructive feeding habits and resistance to conventional pesticides. Toxic effects of Acacia nilotica and Bauhinia alba leaf extracts were investigated on the termite mortality and their impact on termite gut microbiota. Extracts were evaluated for their ability to influence protozoa counts and colony-forming unit (CFU) densities within H. indicola, indicating digestive disruption. Findings revealed that both extracts exhibit dose-dependent mortality effects on H. indicola with LC50 values of 153.61% and 65.27% respectively. Furthermore, higher concentrations of these extracts correlated with reduced protozoa counts and altered CFU densities, suggesting significant alterations in termite gut microbiota. The study underscores the biopesticidal potentials of A. nilotica and B. alba and highlights their ecological implications in termite management.

Termite infestations can cause severe damage to crops, resulting in yield loss and contamination of products. Using synthetic insecticides to manage termites often leads to environmental pollution and the development of resistance in termites. Since many plants are known to have insecticidal properties, this study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of locally available plants at various concentrations for termite control. The current study was performed to evaluate the efficacy of ethanolic leaf extracts of Ficus religiosa, and Curcuma longa against Heterotermes indicola under laboratory conditions. Mortality of termites increased when feed on F. religiosa leaf extracts with minimum feeding rate at the maximum concentration (30%). The results showed that F. religiosa was more potent than C. longa, with LC50 values of 8.71 and 22.74, respectively. Chemical composition of plants extracts by Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) revealed 14 and 18 compounds in selected ethanolic leaf extracts respectively. The largest chemical components based on percentage of sample identified from F. religiosa were n-Hexadecanoic acid, 1-Hexacoosene, 9,12,15-Octadecatrienal, Phytol, and dl-a-Tocopherol. The main components of C. longa were identified as, Benzenmethanol, a, a,4-trimethyl, 1,2-cis-1,5-trans-2,5-dihydroxy-4-methyl-1-(1-hydroxy-1-isopropyl) cyclohex-3, Cyclohexene, 1-methyl-4-1 (1-methylethylidene)- and 2-Methoxy-4-vinylphenol.