Background and Aim: Gastrointestinal (GI) nematode infection remains an important problem in livestock, particularly cattle. The infection may lead to serious health complications and affect animal products. The objective of this study was to investigate GI nematode infection and its associated risk factors in dairy and beef cattle farmed in Pak Chong District of Nakhon Ratchasima Province, northeast Thailand. Materials and Methods: Fecal specimens were collected from 101 dairy cattle and 100 beef cattle. Formalin-ethyl acetate concentration techniques were used to process the samples and the samples were observed under a light microscope. Samples were subjected to molecular identification of specific genera using conventional polymerase chain reaction and DNA sequencing. Results: The overall prevalence of GI nematode infection was 33.3%. The strongyle nematode was the most significant GI nematode in this area with a prevalence of 28.4%. The prevalence of strongyle nematodes was 58.0% in beef cattle and only 7.9% in dairy cattle. Trichuris spp. was another nematode found in both types of cattle with an overall prevalence of 5.0% with 9.0% in beef cattle and 1.0% in dairy cattle. The results of the epidemiological study indicate that the age of cattle, food, water sources, farming system, and housing floor are the most important risk factors. Among the strongyle nematodes, Ostertagia spp. was the most prevalent (82.0%), followed by Haemonchus spp. (62.3%) and Trichostrongylus spp. (8.2%), respectively. Conclusion: Infection with GI nematodes still exists in this area, particularly in beef cattle. Our reported data may benefit local parasitic control policies in the future. Keywords: beef cattle, dairy cattle, gastrointestinal nematode, strongyle nematodes.

There is an inverse relationship between the high incidence of helminth infection and the low incidence of inflammatory disease. Hence, it may be that helminth molecules have anti-inflammatory effects. Helminth cystatins are being extensively studied for anti-inflammatory potential. Therefore, in this study, the recombinant type I cystatin (stefin-1) of Fasciola gigantica (rFgCyst) was verified to have LPS-activated anti-inflammatory potential, including in human THP-1-derived macrophages and RAW 264.7 murine macrophages. The results from the MTT assay suggest that rFgCyst did not alter cell viability; moreover, it exerted anti-inflammatory activity by decreasing the production of proinflammatory cytokines and mediators, including IL-1β, IL-6, IL-8, TNF-α, iNOS, and COX-2 at the gene transcription and protein expression levels, as determined by qRT-PCR and Western blot analysis, respectively. Further, the secretion levels of IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α determined by ELISA and the NO production level determined by the Griess test were decreased. Furthermore, in Western blot analysis, the anti-inflammatory effects involved the downregulation of pIKKα/β, pIκBα, and pNF-κB in the NF-κB signaling pathway, hence reducing the translocation from the cytosol into the nucleus of pNF-κB, which subsequently turned on the gene of proinflammatory molecules. Therefore, cystatin type 1 of F. gigantica is a potential candidate for inflammatory disease treatment.

This study aimed to: (1) quantify aboveground biomass (AGB) and carbon (AGC) stocks in the Banlaem mangrove forest, Nakhon Si Thammarat, Thailand; and (2) construct an AGB estimation model using vegetation indices (VIs) derived from Sentinel-2, Landsat-8, and unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) imagery. On-the-ground measurements were carried out to evaluate the AGB and AGC stocks of the mangrove forest. VIs were then calculated using passive remote sensing data, including satellite and UAV imagery. These indices were compared through multiple regression analysis with the ground-truthed AGB for evaluation. Three mangrove species were found: Rhizophora mucronata, R. apiculata, and Avicennia Marina. Overall, the AGB and AGC stocks ranged from 0 to 179.78 tons•ha¹ (56.30 ± 51.81 tons•ha¹) and 0 to 89.89 tons•ha¹ (28.15 ± 25.90 tons•ha¹), respectively. The best AGB model exhibited an R² of 0.73 and an RMSE of 22.0 tons•ha¹. This study presents a novel approach for estimating AGB and AGC stocks in the Thai mangrove ecosystem by integrating a UAV with two open-access satellite imagery sources. Combining multiple VIs (NDVI, SAVI, and GNDVI) with CHM provides better accuracy for the mangrove AGB estimation model than using a single variable.

Introduction: Cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) is a highly progressive tumor. The standard chemotherapy varies in its effectiveness, with generally low efficacy. So, the discovery of novel chemotherapy is still required. The objective of this preliminary study was to determine the cytotoxic effects induced by three kinds of bamboo mushrooms (Dictyophora indusiata or Chinese bamboo mushroom; Ch-DTP, Short skirt bamboo mushroom (Thai isolate); Th-DTP, and orange skirt bamboo mushroom; Or-DTP) on CCA cells. Materials and methods: CCA cell lines, including CL-6, HuCCT1, HuH28, and OUMS normal fibroblast cells, were treated with various concentrations of DTP extracts. The MTT assay was used to determine cytotoxicity, and cell morphology was observed by using phase-contrast microscopy. Results and discussion: The results suggested that Ch-DTP effectively killed all three CCA cell lines in both low (0.3 mg/mL) and high (0.6 mg/mL) doses, but Th-DTP and Or-DTP had significantly reduced cell viability only at high doses (p<0.001). Ch-DTP had the best effect by showing a response of more than 50% at a concentration of 0.3 mg/mL. Th-DTP had moderate effects at a concentration of lower than 0.6 mg/mL but worthwhile at higher concentrations, whereas Or-DTP had limited effects at concentrations of 0.4 mg/mL and downward, although the effects were significantly increased in the higher concentration range. Morphology of the Ch-DTP treated cells was greatly transformed both at low and high doses, but Th-DTP and Or-DTP showed definite alteration only at high doses. The morphological changes revealed apoptotic induction. In OUMS cells, no effects were recognized with any of the three DTPs. Conclusion: This study indicated that DTP extracts could induce cytotoxicity in cholangiocarcinoma, with a high potential of being an effective therapeutic agent.

The well-characterized edible and medicinal bamboo mushroom is Phallus indusiatus, a Chinese bamboo mushroom with long white indusium (skirt). To date, scientists have found more than five species of bamboo mushrooms in Thailand, containing bamboo mushrooms with long white, short white, and several colored skirts. Still, most of them are unidentified species and lack metabolic profile data. Hence, this study aims to evaluate the species of the long white-skirt Chinese bamboo mushroom-like (CH-isolate) and short white-skirt (TH-isolate) bamboo mushrooms isolated from a local farm in northern Thailand. External morphology and molecular identification were used to identify the species. Nutritional and metabolic studies were conducted to determine the nutrients and metabolites from both isolates. Our morphological and evolutionary phylogenetic analyses suggested that CH- and TH-isolates were different species. Interestingly, the CH-isolate, which has a similar morphology to P. indusiatus, clearly demonstrated the difference in species. In addition, the nutritional and metabolomic analysis revealed that CH- and TH-isolate contain different nutritional constituents and metabolic profiles. Our study reports the two new species of bamboo mushrooms that were suspected to be found in Thailand and their metabolic profiles that could be beneficially used in further studies. However, definitive confirmation of the novel species will be made in the future.

Land cover changes significantly affect mangrove forests, driven by both anthropogenic activities and natural processes. The Banlaem mangrove in Nakhon Si Thammarat, Thailand, supports numerous mangrove plantation projects but lacks comprehensive assessments and monitoring related to land cover changes. This study aimed to (1) investigate land cover changes in the Banlaem mangrove from 1995 to 2023, and (2) generate a predictive model for future land cover changes. For land cover assessment, satellite imagery from multiple sources, including Sentinel-2 (Level 2A) and Landsat (Collection 2 Level 2), was utilized to examine and classify changes in mangrove cover within the Banlaem mangrove forest from 1995 to 2023, using supervised classification with the maximum likelihood algorithm. Various regression models were analysed to develop a predictive model based on area size and time. The mangrove area in the Banlaem mangrove forest steadily grew throughout the study period, with the total area increasing from 56.16 ha in 1995 to 527.55 ha in 2023. This study represents the first analysis of changes in the Banlaem mangrove cover. Throughout the tested models, they reveal an unclear pattern of mangrove expansion, yet they indicate a high rate of expansion in the Banlaem mangrove forest. In addition, these results are expected to encourage greater community involvement in the monitoring and management of the Banlaem mangrove. We recommend establishing a community monitoring network to engage local residents in tracking changes in mangrove cover, supported by training and resources.