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Toxoplasmosis drugs have the longest history and are still the first choice for most conditions. Alternative drugs such as Co-trimoxazole and Tetracycline have been tried and acclaimed successful. The lack of general acceptance, however, is an indication that the results are not very convincing. A wide range of antibiotics is urgently needed for patients with drug reaction or resistance problems. The anti-toxoplasmic activity of water and ethanol extracts as well as the oil of some home spices (Piper nigrum, Capsicum frutescens, Cinnamomum cassia and Curcuma longa), were evaluated in murine models of intraperitoneal infection using the RH strain of Toxoplasma gondii. Female mice were infected with 2×10(2) tachyzoites/ml, and then treated intraperitoneally with the home spices at 100 and 200 mg/kg/day for seven days. The tested extracts reduced the mean number of tachyzoites present in the peritoneal fluid of the experimental mice. The most effective extract was Curcuma longa ethanol extract which showed a 98.6% and 99.2% inhibition of the growth of Toxoplasma tachyzoites in 100 and 200 doses respectively compared to the control infected untreated mice.

Previous reports of crop losses to plant-parasitic nematodes have relied on published results of survey data based on certain commodities, including tobacco, peanuts, cotton, and soybean. Reports on crop-loss assessment by land-grant universities and many commodity groups generally are no longer available, with the exception of the University of Georgia, the Beltwide Cotton Conference, and selected groups concerned with soybean. The Society of Nematologists Extension Committee contacted extension personnel in 49 U.S. states for information on estimated crop losses caused by plant-parasitic nematodes in major crops for the year 1994. Included in this paper are survey results from 35 states on various crops including corn, cotton, soybean, peanut, wheat, rice, sugarcane, sorghum, tobacco, numerous vegetable crops, fruit and nut crops, and golf greens. The data are reported systematically by state and include the estimated loss, hectarage of production, source of information, nematode species or taxon when available, and crop value. The major genera of phytoparasitic nematodes reported to cause crop losses were Heterodera, Hoplolaimus, Meloidogyne, Pratylenchus, Rotylenchulus, and Xiphinema.

Variability in reproduction and pathogenicity of 12 populations of Meloidogyne arenaria race 1 was evaluated on Florunner peanut, Centennial soybean, Rutgers tomato, G70, K326, and Mc944 tobacco, and Carolina Cayenne, Mississippi Nemaheart, and Santanka pepper. Differences among M. arenaria populations in rates of egg production 45 days after inoculation were observed for all cultivars except Santanka pepper. Differences among populations in dry top weights or fresh root weights were recorded on all cultivars. Numbers of nematode eggs produced on Florunner peanut varied from 3,419 to 11,593/g fresh root weight. On resistant tobacco cultivars (G70 and K326), one nematode population produced high numbers of eggs (12,042 and 6,499/g fresh root weight on G70 and K326, respectively), whereas the other populations produced low numbers of eggs (less than 500 eggs/g fresh root weight on both cultivars). Two variant M. arenaria race 1 populations were identified by factor analysis of reproductive rates on all nine cultivars. Differences m reproduction and pathogenicity observed among populations would affect the design of sustainable management systems for M. arenaria.

A morphological and morphometric comparison using light microscopy and scanning electron microscopy was made of six populations of Meloidogyne javanica belonging to three host races (infective on pepper, peanut, or noninfective on both). The variability of certain morphological characters was studied within these populations, and the reliability of these taxonomic traits was evaluated for usefulness in species identification. The most useful diagnostic characters of M. javanica were head and stylet morphology of males and stylet morphology and perineal patterns of females. Males have an offset head region, usually lacking annulations, and a distinct, narrow head cap with slightly raised labial disc. The stylet has a cone markedly wider than the shaft at the junction and large, transversely ovoid knobs that are offset from the shaft. Females have a robust stylet with a dorsally curved cone and large, transversely ovoid knobs. Perineal patterns are oval to squarish in shape, usually with coarse, broken striae and with conspicuous lateral lines. The host races could not be differentiated on a morphological basis.