Journal of Coastal Life Medicine

678-682

Authors: Gary Kim Kuan Low

Objective: To describe the pattern of vomiting, diarrhoea and abdominal pain among dengue patients over the years in different age groups. Methods: Electronic databases were used to include studies that reported symptoms of vomiting, diarrhoea or/and abdominal pain. Confirmation of dengue was conducted by laboratory diagnosis. The exclusion criteria were case reports and studies which only described specific settings, focused only on dengue haemorrhagic fever or severe dengue and coinfection. Meta-analysis was performed on the overall prevalence of vomiting, diarrhoea and abdominal pain which was then stratified according to years and different age groups. Results: Out of the 2 002 studies, 32 studies were included. All studies were conducted between 1995 and 2014. The studies were conducted in 18 countries with a total sample size of 69466. The predominant symptom was abdominal pain before 2004 but became vomiting thereafter. The prevalence of vomiting was constant throughout the years (20%–40%), but the prevalence of abdominal pain reduced from 30%–50% to 20%–30%. The prevalence of diarrhoea increased steadily from 5% to 30%. Abdominal pain was the predominant symptom in children (75.03%) [95% confidence interval (CI): 64.89%–85.17%], while diarrhoea was predominant in adults (32.42%) (95% CI: 23.96%–40.88%). For studies which included all ages, the predominant symptom was vomiting (45.18%) (95% CI: 33.87%–56.49%). Conclusions: The knowledge of symptomatic pattern change could assist clinicians in diagnosing and managing dengue patients. Future studies could address the occurrence of this change and the difference in symptoms between children and adults.

689-692

Authors: Md. Alomgir Hossen, Md. Yeamin Hossain, Nasir Uddin Pramanik, Fairuz Nawer, Dalia Khatun, Most. Farida Parvin, Md. Mosaddequr Rahman

Objective: To provide complete and informative description on morphometric characters i.e., relationships between length-weight (LWRs) and length-length and meristic characters of Botia lohachata from the Ganges River, Northwestern Bangladesh. Methods: Samples were collected occasionally using different fishing gears from July 2015 to June 2016. For each individual, total 15 lengths were taken using digital slide calipers and body weight was measured using an electronic balance with 0.01 cm and 0.01 g accuracy, respectively. The LWRs was estimated using the formula: W = a × Lb , where W was the body weight (g); L was the length (cm) and, a and b were LWRs parameter. The meristic data were counted using magnifying glass. Results: A sum of 110 individuals of Botia lohachata were hardly collected. Total length was varied from 3.70–6.80 cm and body weight was ranged from 0.55 to 2.80 g. The LWRs were highly correlated (P < 0.001) with r 2 values greater than 0.961. The calculated overall allometric coefficient (b) indicated negative allometric growth pattern (b < 3.00, P < 0.001). In addition, all length-length relationships were highly significant (P < 0.001) and most of the r 2 values were greater than 0.950. The fin formula was- dorsal, D. 10–11 (2–3/8); pectoral, Pc. 8–10 (4–6/6–4); pelvic, Pv. 8 (2–3/5–6); anal, An. 6–7 (2/4–5); and caudal, Ca. 20–22 (6–8/14–16). Conclusions: The findings of the present study will keep a crucial contribution to fisheries scientist in favor of identification of this fish, stock assessment and sustainable conservation in the Ganges River of Bangladesh and adjoining countries. Also, these results will impart valuable information for the FishBase, as well as provide an important baseline for further studies.

698-702

Authors: Azadeh Taherpour, Bita Archangi, Sadraddin Ghaemmaghami, Hossein Zolgharnein, Kamal Ghanemi

Objective: To evaluate the antibacterial efficacy of different solvent extracts of Padina sp. against selected human pathogenic bacteria and fungi species such as Escherichia coli, Shigella sp., Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus), Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Aspergillus flavus and Candida albicans. Methods: Various solvents including methanol, ethyl acetate, chloroform and hexane were used to acquire crude extracts from marine algae Padina sp. After crude preparation, antibacterial and antifungal activities were screened against clinically important human pathogenic bacteria using disc and well diffusion methods. For all the bacterial species used in this research, minimum inhibitory concentration was undertaken considering various solvent extracts of Padina sp. To ensure the accuracy of experiments, a positive control was also included. Results: Confirmed that hexane is the best solvent to extract antimicrobial agents from Padina sp. Among selected bacteria, S. aureus was the most sensitive test microorganism. While, all other microorganisms showed resistance against methanol, ethyl acetate, chloroform extracts. In fact, by increasing concentration of hexane extract, inhibition of S. aureus growth or antimicrobial activity was increased. Growth inhibition zone in well method showed better results compared to disc diffusion method. The minimum inhibitory concentration and minimum bactericidal concentration of hexane extract were 15 and 30 mg/mL against S. aureus, respectively. All Padina sp. extracts did not reveal any antifungal activities against fungi species in this study. Conclusions: Brown algae extracts showed sufficient antibacterial properties against S. aureus. Therefore, Padina sp. in this research can be a good candidate to design and manufacture novel antibacterial agents used in pharmaceutical industries.

708-713

Authors: Endang Purwaningsih, Kartika Dewi, Herjuno Ari Nugroho

Objective: To determine and describe the nematode species of amphibians collected from Lombok Island, West Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia. Methods: The materials examined were found in the intestines of twenty-four Fejervarya cancrivora (F. cancrivora), sixteen Fejervarya verruculosa, six Duttaphyrnus melanostictus (D. melanostictus) from Senaru and Gangga District, Lombok Island on April 2015. The amphibian hosts were collected by hand. Before observing the nematodes, the hosts were anesthesized to death with chloroform. The ventral of the host was opened by longitudinal incision and the internal organs were removed, placed separately in the Petri-dish and then examined under a dissecting microscope. The nematodes found were fixed with warm 70% alcohol.The specimens for light microscope observation were cleared in glycerol and mounted in the same solution, and for the SEM (JSM 5310 LV) were re-fixed in caccodylate buffer and glutaraldehyde, dehydrated through a graded series of alcohol and vacuum-dried using TAITEC VC-96N, prior to attaching to stubs with double sided cello-tape, coated with gold 400 Å thickness in an Eico I-B2 ion coater. Drawings were made with the aid of a drawing tube attached to a Nikon compound microscope. Measurements were given in micrometers (µm) as the average, followed by the range in parentheses, unless otherwise stated. Results: Two new species of nematodes were found and described herein: Camallanus senaruensis sp. nov., and Meteterakis lombokensis sp. nov., parasitic in the intestine of F. cancrivora and D. melanostictus, respectively. C. senaruensis differs from other congeners in having a bluntly rounded tip of tail in the male and female, the structure of trident and having teeth in the buccal capsule. Meteterakis lombokensis differs from other previously described species in having no vulval flap, has a strongly widened proximal end of spicules, forming a cup shaped, and the number of caudal papillae. Others species found are Meteterakis singaporensis from D. melanostictus, and Chabaudus rausci (Ch. rauschi) from sixteen F. cancrivora and eight Fejervarya verruculosa. Conclusions: The species of parasitic nematodes from Lombok Island are common in amphibians, but Camallanus, Meteterakis singaporensis, Ch. rauschi are the new record in Indonesia. The dominant species found in Lombok Island is Ch. rauschi.

718-720

Authors: Maryam Abedi, Farshad Nojoomi, Mansoor Dabirzadeh

Objective: To uncover the molecular prevalence of Giardia duodenalis by PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) in Zabul city, Iran. Methods: Twenty-four stool samples were collected from 215 patients with suspected giardiasis by microscopic examination. To increase the sensitivity of the PCR, the total genomic DNA from isolates was extracted by applying glass beads and the QIAamp Kit. A one-step PCRRFLP method, targeting the glutamate dehydrogenase gene, was utilized to differentiate the assemblages A and B among isolates. Results: The PCR fragment was determined from 30 isolates, RFLP assay of 24 isolates showed 24 (100) isolates as Genotype B group BIII. Conclusions: The results with the glutamate dehydrogenase gene assay demonstrated that the predominant subtype of Giardia duodenalis in the area is BIII, which showed animals are the main reservoir of the isolates in this area.

726-730

Authors: Said Hassan, Farhad Ali, Ibrar Alam, Rahmat Gul

Objective: To assess the resistance against widely used antibiotics in case of Acinetobacter baumannii (A. baumannii) infection. Methods: A total of 350 samples of pus, urine, swab and others from different patients were examined and the bacterial growth appeared in 50 samples. Each sample was inoculated on blood, MacConkey and cystine lactose electrolyte deficient agar. The antimicrobial susceptibility profile of the isolates was determined using agar plate method/disk-diffusion method (modified-Kirby Baur disc diffusion method). Results: In current study, a large number of isolates of A. baumannii obtained from different specimens were resistant to avelox (56%), followed by tygacil (46%), augmentin (46%), cefspan (38%), cefixime (24%) and ampicillin (20%). However, the antibiogram of A. baumannii also showed that most of the isolates (88%) were highly sensitive to cefalexin. Second maximum sensitivity of A. baumannii was seen to amikacin (84%). The sensitivity of isolates against amikacin was followed by ticarcillin (80%). Meronem was found highly active against the tested isolates (78%). Sensitivity was observed for tienem (76%), sulzone (72%) followed by azactam (68%), cefobid (66%) to cefotaxime (66%) and ciproxin (62%). Conclusions: Results elucidate that A. baumannii is a severe problem as it has become a highly resistant species in hospitalized patients and resistant A. baumannii infection turned out to have increased all-cause mortality.

737-741

Authors: Ette Ettebong, Emmanuel Etuk, Imaobong Sunday

Objective: To evaluate the anti-inflammatory and antipyretic potentials of artesunate in albino wistar mice and rats respectively. Methods: For the anti-inflammatory activity, artesunate (5 mg/kg) was administered orally against egg albumin- and xylene-induced inflammation in mice using ibuprofen (50 mg/kg) as standard drug. To assess antipyretic activity, artesunate (5 mg/kg) was administered orally against amphetamine- and 2, 4-dinitrophenol-induced pyrexia in rats using ibuprofen (15 mg/ kg) as standard drug. Results: The result showed that artesunate significantly (P < 0.001–0.010) reduced inflammation induced by egg albumin and xylene in a time-dependent manner. It also significantly (P < 0.001–0.050) and time-dependently reduced pyrexia induced by amphetamine and 2, 4-dinitrophenol. These reductions were similar to those produced by the standard drug ibuprofen, and thereby demonstrating that artesunate possesses antiinflammatory and antipyretic activities. Conclusions: These results further support the rationale for the use of artesunate in the treatment of malaria, a disease characterized by fever and inflammation and open up possibilities of its usefulness in other inflammatory and feverish diseases.

747-749

Authors: Farhan, Hameed Ur Rehman, Sajid Awais, Nisar Ahmad, Baharullah Khattak

Objective: To qualitatively evaluate the phytochemicals and quantitatively determine the heavy metals of three species of edible mushrooms collected from the Karak area of Khyber Pukhtoonkhwa, Pakistan. Methods: The plant sample was subjected to methanolic extraction. The extraction was then concentrated by using rotary evaporator. The methanolic extract was screened for the qualitative study of various phytochemicals and quantitative measurement of heavy metals. Results: A maximum of phytochemicals were confirmed by carring out different tests. Among the different phytochemicals, alkaloids, flavonoids, proteins and carbohydrates were found to be present in the extracts, while saponins and glycosides were not detected. Similarly quantitative study of heavy metals was also conducted on the same extracts of the edible mushrooms. The results suggested that iron was present in maximum concentration than all other metals and nickel was found to be present in little amount when compared with other metals. All the metals were found present. Conclusions: The concentrations of heavy metals were investigated in the samples which were different in all samples. The presence of different phytochemicals in the mushroom is the key for its active biological profile.