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Objectives: Alveolar echinococcosis is caused by Echinococcus multilocularis, a parasite of zoonotic significance with a wide range of intermediate and final hosts, and the parasite survives successfully in diversified conditions. Plentiful studies have been done to study the genetic structure of the population of the parasite and the level of intimate kinship using mitochondrial (mt) DNA. The present study was conducted to investigate the population structure, genetic variation, and phylogenetic relationship of various isolates of E. multiocularis submitted to GenBank worldwide. Sequences of mt genes (mt-cytochrome c oxidase (cox1), mt-NADH dehydrogenase (nad1)) of E. multilocularis were analyzed to achieve the set goals. Materials and Methods: A total of 275 and 124 gene sequences of mt-cox1 and mt-nad1 belonging to E. multilocularis, respectively, were retrieved from the National Center for Biotechnology Information GenBank. The retrieved sequences were subjected to alignment with respective reference sequences using MEGA software. The PopArt software was used to establish median-joining networks, while DnaSp was used to calculate neutrality and diversity indices. MrBayes software was used to investigate the phylogenetic association between haplotypes based on Bayesian phylogeny. Results: Approximately 13 and 20 distinctive haplotypes of nad1 and cox1 genes, respectively, were observed in the present study. In both of the mt genes, diversity indices indicated low haplotype (mt-cox1 = 0.140; mt-nad1 = 0.374) and nucleotide (mt-cox1 = 0.00111; mt-nad1 = 0.00287) diversities. The values of Tajima's D and Fu Fs for a population of both of the genes under study were found to be negative. Conclusion: This study is a maiden attempt to provide insights into the population structure and genetic variation of E. multilocularis on a global scale. However, it is suggested that to better understand the population structure and genetic diversity of E. multilocularis, more geographical locations and amplifications of full-length gene sequences should be considered, which could be helpful in widening the insights into the genetic diversity of E. multilocularis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Worldwide, microbial infections have a serious impact because they cause infectious diseases, death, and significant economic losses. Zoonosis is now a major public health issue on a global scale because of the fast expansion of human exploitation of nature and animal husbandry. Notably, in the past 30 years, over 30 novel human infections have been discovered, 75% of which fall under the category of zoonosis. Resistant strains have emerged as a result of improper use of antibiotics and insufficient infection management posing a serious risk to both public health and the global economy. As alternatives, antimicrobial peptides are showing good results. The majority of living things use antibacterial peptides (ABPs) as a key part of their natural defenses against invading infections. These peptides are cationic, amphipathic, and relatively tiny with varied sequences, structures, and lengths. For the delivery of these efficacious biological peptides, nanoparticles are providing opportunities for effective, safe, and viable delivery. An innovative method of treating infectious diseases is demonstrated by nanoparticles and antibacterial peptides. When ABPs are combined with carrier nanoparticles to optimize distribution, their half-life may be increased, allowing for lower dosages and ultimately lower toxicity. For biological applications, ABPs and nanoparticle conjugates have become effective methods, enabling the treatment, prevention of disease, and detection. More than 50 peptide medications have been made available for purchase on the market as of 2018. Around 25 billion USD is spent on peptide medications each year, including ABPs. But still, there is a gap in the distribution of these ABPs as an alternative to synthetic antibiotics. It might be due to the high cost of these goods. Thus, scientists, researchers, and commercializing companies should work together so that these ABPs with a safe delivery system should be available in the market to combat resistant strains of bacteria. In doing so, we draw attention to the significant advancements made in the field as well as the difficulties still encountered in developing imaging species, active therapies, and nano-drug delivery systems that are functionalized with peptides and proteins for clinical use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cryptosporidium is a primary cause of waterborne epidemics, despite being previously considered only an opportunistic pathogen. The disease is associated with significant economic losses in humans and animals that are brought on by diarrhea, which frequently causes dehydration. Contact with diseased people or animals, as well as polluted water, is the major cause of infection. Different drugs are used to control the parasites. Nitazoxanide (NTZ), which is an anti-protozoan and anti-viral drug, can be used to control helminths, viruses, and protozoan parasites as a broad-spectrum antibiotic and has been approved by the food and drug authority (FDA). However, the problem is the development of resistance over a period of time in these parasites. Nanoparticles have received significant attention as possible anti-parasitic agents in recent years. By directing medications to specific cellular locations, targeted drug delivery minimizes the side effects of medications. Nanoparticles have demonstrated effectiveness against different Cryptosporidium species. Nanoparticles loaded with NTZ are found to be an effective remedy for C. parvum in young ones and decrease the oocyst count shed in the stools. Additionally, silver nanoparticles have proven to be effective against C. parvum by releasing silver ions that breach the cell wall of the oocyst, causing the escape of intracellular contents and the destruction of sporozoites within the oocyst. Implementing tiny particles for the purification of consuming water from Cryptosporidium is an economical and environmentally sustainable process. However, the use of nanoparticles in medicine requires more research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Extensive and frequent use of pesticides has induced numerous abnormalities in target and non-target exposed organisms. Among different various pesticides, neonicotinoids are extensively employed in agro-production sectors. Thiamethoxam (TMX) plays an essential role in keeping the crop safe from insect attack, but on the other hand, it has been reported to induce adverse effects in both humans and animals. Previously, it was thought that neonicotinoids have low toxicity potential in mammals, but widespread use has made it evident that these pesticides have serious toxic effects on both invertebrates and vertebrates. Extensive applications of pesticides also pose serious eco-toxicological threats to aquatic and terrestrial organisms in the ecosystem. This review describes the chemistry, pharmacodynamics, and toxic effects of various TMX on living organisms. Moreover, this review summarizes the excretion/deposition of TMX in different tissues along with potentially adverse effects on production potential, immunity, blood parameters, and male/female reproductive systems. Though the pros of TMX surpass the cons, its reported intrinsic toxicity stresses the need to develop new pesticides that have high potency with little harm to humans and animals. Hence, there is a need for hours to address knowledge gaps related to TMX and design effective rational usage of TMX strategies to keep the ecosystem safe from the potentially harmful effects of TMX. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The potential of Haemonchus contortus is quite impressive to acquire resistance to anthelmintic drugs. Asian field populations of H. contortus are reported to exhibit resistance to most of the anthelmintic drug families, including closantel, imidazothiazoles, macrocyclic lactones and benzimidazoles. This review paper comes up with a comprehensive overview of haemonchosis with anthelmintic resistance (AR), with particular attention to studies conducted in regions of Asia. It also confers the prevalence and mechanisms in H. contortus for anthelmintic resistance, indicating the necessity for alternative approaches to control the pathogen. Several SNPs identified in gene isotype-1 β-tubulin gene have been discussed that are associated with benzimidazole resistance and are prevalent in H. contortus populations in Asia. The methods used by H. contortus to withstand the effects of these medications are examined together with the history of how resistance to different anthelmintics in this species has developed. The approaches for diagnosing resistance are also compiled in this review. Such diagnosis currently largely relies on the fecal egg count reduction test, which has cost and sensitivity issues. Past and present efforts to use less expensive and time-consuming phenotypic assays with free-living life stages are also described with the developmental progress of molecular assays to provide sensitive resistancedetection tests. Overall, this paper provides valuable perception into the current understanding of AR in Haemonchus spp. and the challenges faced in the management of this disease in Asia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coccidiosis is one of the major parasitic diseases infecting almost all ruminants, including cows, buffalo, sheep, and goats. Coccidiosis is caused by the genus Eimeria, which are host-specific obligate intestinal parasites. These are found almost all over the world and cause infections leading to mortalities and morbidities. Coccidiosis is usually treated by ionophores and synthetic chemicals of various classes including ionophores and synthetic chemical drugs. These drugs have been effective against coccidiosis but emerging issues of anthelmintic resistance, public health concerns, and consumer demand for organic products are leading to minimizing the use of these drugs. Vaccination is also being used, but vaccine failure and high cost limit their use. Among alternatives, herbal medicines are promising replacements because of their complex formulations, multiple modes of action, easy availability, and cost-effectiveness. Various plants, their parts, various formulations like herbal preparations, and the active compounds found in them are being searched to control ruminant coccidiosis. Multiple groups of botanical formulations, i.e., Flavonoids, alkaloids, tannins, terpenes, sulfur compounds, etc. have been proven to be effective against the ruminant coccidiosis-causing agents. They can control various stages of Eimeria directly and indirectly by antioxidant and immunomodulatory actions. Further research is needed to determine the most suitable herbal preparations and their pharmacological interactions for the effective and sustainable control of coccidiosis in ruminants. This review highlights the significance of ruminant coccidiosis, botanical compounds used against ruminant coccidiosis their mechanisms of action, and reasons and benefits of herbal compounds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Parasitic diseases causing considerable losses are one of the most common infections in humans, animals, and birds. This review emphasizes the devastation of the poultry industry by parasites and the use of bioactive components of plants as an alternative to control the damage. Synthetic medicines that are used in poultry as anthelmintic lead to the emergence of resistance in helminths as well as adversely affect birds and reduce their production. Different compounds are extracted from plants that show effective anthelmintic activity. Steroidal saponin alters the membrane permeability and inhibits mitochondrial activity resulting in worm death. Condensed tannins cause the death or paralysis of helminths. Flavonoids' mode of action involves the inhibition of several enzymes like phosphodiesterase and Ca-ATPase. Both flavonoids and tannins act synergistically and have the same function as praziquantel. Isoflavones inhibit energy generation and calcium utilization causing the death of worms. Isoquinoline alkaloids are neurotoxic to the different helminths. Phytochemicals have an important role in improving growth, enhancing immunity, increasing nutrient absorption, and maintaining gut integrity. Phytochemicals are added to poultry feed as an additive, antibiotic, growth promoter, and anthelmintic. Plant products are cheap, easily available, and have the least tendency for resistance to be developed. Therefore, they could be proved beneficial against helminths. But there are some limitations such as the lack of proper research on phytochemicals, their efficacy, toxicity, dosage, and mechanism of action of phytochemicals. As an alternative strategy, phytochemicals have shown good results against the resistant species of helminths, but the reason behind the effectiveness of phytochemicals against anthelmintic-resistant parasites needs further studies. In developing countries, the use of plant-based anthelmintics is limited. So, there is a need for proper studies and research on different plant sources having anthelmintic activity. This could save the poultry industry from huge economic losses due to parasitic infections. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Haemonchus (H.) contortus is a blood-feeding parasite causing substantial losses to sheep and goats sector across the globe. Pakistan's livestock industry comprises of more than 100 million head of small ruminants contributing to meet the protein requirement of people. To date, there is no report on genetic characterization of H. contortus from Jhang District of Pakistan. With the aim to narrow this research gap, the current study was planned and molecular confirmation and genetic diversity of H. contortus was determined. Species-specific primers were used to amplify partial ITS-2 region. Sequencing and subsequently identity of every isolate was verified through NCBI BLAST program. Molecular analysis revealed a total of 14 haplotypes out of 30 isolates with 23 mutations. High haplotype diversity (Hd = 0.846) was observed with statistically significant Tajima's D (-2.00336*) value suggesting population expansion. The phylogenetic analysis showed existence of unique haplotypes of H. contortus at Jhang. Further, significantly negative Tajima's D (-2.16660*) and non-significant Fu's Fs (-4.218) also indicated population expansion as obtained in the median-joining network consisting of a dataset of 39 sequences. The study has reflected high genetic variation and existence of unique haplotypes of H. contortus in Jhang, Pakistan. The results of this study will serve as an important database for future studies H. contortus in the country. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, the roundworm Ascaridia galli has been found to be the most common poultry parasite, with 64.8% prevalence in flocks globally. It causes a 60–84% decrease in egg and meat production. Profitability is reduced without proper control of A. galli, and a wide range of chemically synthetic anthelmintics are commonly used. Emergence of drug resistance in nematodes has made scientists search for effective replacements. Among the alternatives to anthelmintics, natural products can be used which are more environment, consumer and host friendly, due to lower or no toxic effects. Certain plants exhibit anthelmintic effects through secondary metabolites (SMBs), such as terpenes (glycosides and saponins), phenolic compounds (flavonoids and tannins) and nitrogen-containing compounds (alkaloids, cyanogenic glycosides and non-protein amino acids). Generally, SMBs exhibit control of nematodes by causing starvation, damaging the external membrane, impairing fertility and growth rate and damaging musculature. In this review paper, the studies related to the screening of plants and their SMBs’ activities (both in vivo and in vitro) are discussed. Some plants have efficacy more than 75% and comprehensive information about their taxonomy and dosage has been documented. Plants that have been found with intense efficacy against A. galli include Acanthus ilicifolius (100%), Cleome viscosa (100%), Osmium sanctum (100%), Murraya koenigii (100%), Sesbania grandiflora (90%), Citrus limon (87.5%), Polygonum hydropiper (83.3%), Swietenia macrophylla (76.6%) and Momordica charantia (75%). Important secondary metabolites include terpenoids (51.72%) followed by phenolic compounds (27.58%) and nitrogen-containing compounds (20.68%). Such plant-derived alternatives are almost 50% more cost-effective than synthetic drugs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In an era of drug resistance, new medicinal plants are being evaluated for control of parasites. In the present study, the anthelmintic activity of the extract of herbal complex (HC) composed of four herbs (Origanum vulgare, Cinnamomum verum, Rosmarinus officinalis and Capsicum annuum) was assessed against eggs and adult Haemonchus (H.) contortus. Egg hatch test (EHT) and adult motility assay (AMA) was performed to evaluate the anthelmintic potential of HC. The reference drug used in EHT was oxfendazole and for AMA two drugs i.e. oxfendazole (2.265 mg ml-1) and levamisole (3mg ml-1) were used. In EHT, LC50 values of HC and oxfendazole were 498 and 1.6 ppm, respectively. In AMA, 100% mortality of H. contortus was observed after 6 hr of treatment with HC (100 mg ml-1) where as two positive control groups could not kill all worms after this exposure time. These results indicated the anthelmintic potential of HC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rodents are one of the most abundant and successful mammals on the planet. The rats harbor the metacestode stage of Hydatigera taeniaeformis serving as the intermediate hosts, whereas cats act as definitive hosts of the parasite. The incidence of the larval stage in rats has been documented in various regions of the world. To best of our knowledge, the mainstream studies on the genetic diversity of H. taeniaeformis are based on the cox1 gene which precludes an in-depth analysis of genetic variation in the parasite. To provide insights about nad1 gene-based genetic variation, in continuation of our previous work, we thereby in this study report H. taeniaeformis infection in the urban murine population from the Faisalabad district of Pakistan and presented genetic polymorphism using the nad1 gene. Out of 38 isolates investigated in the study, a total of 13 haplotypes were found with high haplotype diversity (Hd = 0.909), while the nucleotide diversity was found to be 0.02340 in the study population. The neutrality study found a significant level of nucleotide polymorphism, indicating a rise in low-frequency polymorphism, which might be attributed to global population growth of the parasite. Construction of phylogenetic comprising isolates from Kazakhstan, Finland, Turkiye, Canada, Germany, France, and China revealed that Pakistani isolates of H. taeniaeformis are distinct and formed a separate cluster. Further research utilising full-length multiple mitochondrial genes is required to understand the molecular epidemiology of H. taeniaeformis on the global scale. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Poultry is the second largest industry among the world`s various industries. This industry is highly affected by “salmonellosis” causing clinical signs like diarrhea, inappetence, vomiting, and sometimes death. This disease is becoming deadly due to antibiotic resistance which has been curtained as a worldwide security risk. Probiotics are microbes that can help chickens in the fight against pathogens in their gastrointestinal tracts. The most commonly and effectively used probiotics are those derived from Bacillus species. Probiotics establish cross-feeding among various bacterial strains in the gut environment, lowering blood cholesterol levels. In current years, there has been an increase in the occurrence of infections due to some strains of Salmonella which are resistant to multiple antibiotics. The use of antibiotics in poultry causes an enormous impact on the selection of antibiotics. A significant fraction of the world's consumption of antibiotics is being used in poultry. There is a knowledge vacuum regarding the establishment of bacterial resistance from poultry in resource-constrained contexts. The probiotics market share is rapidly growing. Asia is going to make the largest part of it as the growth is maximum in India, Pakistan, China and Japan. The aim of this review is to emphasize and overview the use of Bacillus probiotics instead of antibiotics to treat resistant genes of Salmonella. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The organic and inorganic constituents present in cystic fluid play a crucial role in the physiology, metabolism and immune responses mediated by taeniids. We designed a comparative study on T. hydatigena and E. granulosus cysts based on biochemical profile. In the present study, we aspirated fluid from Taenia hydatigena (n=30) and Echinococcus granulosus (n=30) cysts recovered from slaughtered sheep and goats in the central abattoir of Faisalabad, Pakistan. The fluid obtained from each cyst was subjected to biochemical analysis to estimate the levels of liver enzymes, electrolytes and selected biomolecules (proteins, glucose, cholesterol, urea, and creatinine). Thereafter, the student's t-test was used to determine significant differences between constituents of the cystic fluids obtained from both type of cysts. The difference was considered statistically significant at P<0.05. The levels of total protein and globulin differed significantly (P<0.05) and were found to be higher in T. hydatigena cystic fluid. A non-significant difference was observed for albumin. Similarly, higher concentrations of electrolytes (sodium, chloride and magnesium) were observed in T. hydatigena cystic fluid with statistically significant difference (P<0.05). Concerning liver enzymes, high levels (p>0.05) of ALP and LDH were observed in T. hydatigena and E. granulosus cystic fluid had significantly higher (P<0.05) level of AST. The levels of cholesterol, urea and creatinine were higher in E. granulosus. In contrast, glucose was higher in T. hydatigena. A significant difference (P<0.05) was observed for these four biomolecules. Overall, these results suggest high variations of investigated biomolecules, liver enzymes, and electrolytes composition between cystic fluids of E. granulosus and T. hydatigena. Further studies are now warranted to set the standards for the differential diagnosis of cysticercosis and cystic echinococcosis based on cystic fluid contents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Monieziasis is a parasite-borne production-limiting disease of livestock. Moniezia expansa is the most important species having cosmopolitan distribution. Despite of numerous prevalence reports, very little information is available about the evolutionary biology and population genetics of M. expansa. To close this research gap, this study was undertaken to recognize and inspect the genetic variation of M. expansa populations around the world using the cox 1 and nad 1 genes and deduce phylogenetic relationships with M. expansa populations. The cox 1 and nad 1 gene sequences were downloaded from the NCBI GenBank database. Followed by sequence alignment, median-joining networks were constructed using PopArt software. Diversity and neutrality indices were computed through DnaSp software while MEGA software was used to draw the maximum-likelihood phylogenetic tree. Thirty-two cox 1 sequences, from five different countries, and 9 nad 1 sequences from three different countries, were among the sequences used in this study. The cox 1 and nad 1 gene sequences had mutations in 97 and 36 different places, respectively. Twenty and 7 unique haplotypes were discovered for the cox 1 and nad 1 gene sequences, respectively. Comparable haplotype diversities were observed for both the genes under study ( cox 1 = 0.950; nad 1 = 0.944). Negative Tajima's D and Fu Fs were found for the cox 1 gene while these indices were positive for the nad 1 gene. Phylogenetic analysis also showed the existence of unique haplotypes for both the cox 1 and nad 1 genes. The results of this study indicate that there is the existence of a huge genetic diversity in M. expansa isolates. For future studies, it is recommended that longer gene sequences should be used to describe genetic variation among M. expansa isolates as the length of the gene under study affects the genetic variation. Moreover, additional mitochondrial markers should also be investigated because the assertive strength of a group of gene targets is superior to defining genetic diversity., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (© 2023 The Authors.)

Parasitic infestations are one of the major threats to the livestock industry in Pakistan. These have a negative impact on the production of domesticated livestock species. Paramphistomes belong to the superfamily Paramphistomoidea and are involved in infecting ruminants all over the world. To date, there was no information on mitochondrial DNA-based molecular characterization of Paramphistomum epiclitum from Pakistan. To close this research gap, this study was designed to provide insights into the epidemiology of Paramphistomum species. Paramphistomum epiclitum isolates were recovered from the rumen of small ruminants slaughtered at an abattoir located in Faisalabad city and animal demographics were recorded. DNA was extracted and mitochondrial cox 1 was amplified and sequenced. Prevalence was calculated along with a 95% confidence interval in various groups. The chi-square test was applied to determine the association between different variables under investigation. A phylogenetic tree was constructed based on the Bayesian method. Population diversity indices were calculated using DnaSP 4.5 software. A total of 43 mutations were observed among 7 haplotypes. Negative values of Fu's Fs values, and Tajima's D indicated population expansion. Deworming, season, and grazing were the variables that significantly correlate ( p < 0.05) with the prevalence of P . epiclitum . The high prevalence of P. epiclitum demonstrates that more studies are indeed needed to further understand the prevalence and distribution of P. epiclitum in definitive and all potential intermediate hosts in addition to intraspecies variation and relationship with populations from other locations., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Alvi, Alshammari, Asghar, Ali, Li, Saqib, Khan, Imran, Qamar, Askar, Abdelsater, Fu, Yan and Jia.)