Asian Pacific Journal of Tropical Disease

421-423

Authors: Duria Abdulwhab Rayis, Mohamed Awad Ahmed, Elsir Mirghani Omer, Ishag Adam

Objective: To determine the epidemiology of malaria [especially Plasmodium vivax (P. vivax)] among pregnant women in Eastern Sudan. Methods: A cross sectional study was conducted in the antenatal care of New Halfa hospital, Eastern Sudan to investigate the prevalence, manifestations and determinants of malaria (especially P. vivax) among pregnant women. Results: Out of 2 378 pregnant women, there were 48 (2.0%) and 36 (1.5%) Plasmodium falciparum (P. falciparum) and P. vivax infection, respectively. There was no significant difference in the age, parity, gestational age between women with malaria and healthy controls. The mean ± SD of the temperature was significantly higher in patients with P. vivax than in patient with P. falciparum malaria [(38.6 ± 0.7) °C vs. (38.1 ± 0.6) °C, P = 0.001]. Patients with P. vivax malaria had slightly (not reach statistical significance) lower hemoglobin level compared with P. falciparum malaria and healthy controls. The geometric parasite count showed no significant difference between patients with P. vivax and P. falciparum malaria infections (12189.9 vs. 9755.1 trophozoite/μL, P = 0.356). Conclusions: P. vivax malaria is an existing health problem in Eastern Sudan. Further research is also needed.

429-431

Authors: Jasem Saki, Sanaz Tavakoli, Masoume Mardani, Shokrollah Salmanzadeh, Asma Karamkhani

Objective: To evaluate the epidemiology of cutaneous leishmaniasis in Ahvaz County, capital of Khuzestan Province, and southwest of Iran over a 5-year period. Since Khuzestan Province is endemic for this disease. Methods: This is a retrospective study of cutaneous leishmaniasis cases from 2010 to 2014 referred to health care centers of Ahvaz County. Results: A total of 242 cases were studied. Out of which 59.1% were males and 40.9% were females. About 79.8% of patients resided in urban areas and 20.2% resided in rural areas. Frequencies during the years 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014 were 8.7%, 33.5%, 44.1%, 9.9% and 35.5%, respectively. The maximum number of cutaneous leishmaniasis patients was observed in winter. About 47.1% of lesions were on hands, 18.2% on feet, 11.6% on face, 21.5% on two organs and 1.7% on more than two organs. Conclusions: In this study 59.1% of patients were males and this may due to their job, more contact with Leishmania vectors and wearing fewer cloths. Most of the lesions were placed in hands, feet and face. Therefore the necessity of choosing the appropriate clothing, using mosquito nets seem to be important.

437-442

Authors: Shiva Raj Adhikari, Vishnu Prasad Sapkota, Mahmud Khan, Nephil Matangi Maskay

Objective: To measure the effectiveness of short term trainings in improving knowledge of health economics and application of economic way of thinking in policy research. Methods: The training focused to strengthen the capacity of public health practitioners to design and implement health policy and programmes especially for infectious diseases from health system and economic perspectives. We focused to measure the effects of gaining knowledge to understand the relationship between infectious diseases and poverty and to adopt a logical way of thinking to come up with a solution. This approach used in this paper to measure the “reflection” of the training is different from conventional way of evaluating training programmes. The effectiveness of the training was measured in three dimensions: (i) general understanding of economics from health policy perspective; (ii) application of economic analysis and appraisal tools and techniques; and (iii) economic way of thinking for issues related to disease control and poverty. Results: There was a significant improvement in self-assessed knowledge after the training. Among seven knowledge related questions, in the pre-test, an average participant made 86% correct answers while in post-test, this figure increased to 100%. The results showed that there is a significant improvement in these three dimensions after the training intervention. Conclusions: The paper concluded that endogenizing knowledge of economics and way of thinking have important implications for designing alternative policy and resource utilization.

447-448

Authors: Beuy Joob, Viroj Wiwanitkit

The new emerging influenza is usually important problem in medicine. There are many new emerging influenza infections that exist at present. One of the new influenza is the H5N8 influenza. This new disease has just been emerged in 2014. This disease becomes a new consideration in global public health. The remained query is whether this disease is a new risk for human beings.

453-459

Authors: Divya Shitlani, Rajesh Choudhary, Devi Prasad Pandey, Surendra Haribhau Bodakhe

Objective: To ameliorate the antimalarial activity via the combination of rutin (flavonoid) and swertiamarin (glycoside). Methods: The antimalarial effects were assessed by in vitro and in vivo methodology. In vitro antiplasmodial activity was assessed by using Plasmodium falciparum cultured media and determined the IC50 value of individual drugs and their combinations. In in vivo methodology, antimalarial effects of rutin, swertiamarin (200–280 mg/kg/day, p.o.) and their combination in 1:1, 1:2 and 2:1 ratios were investigated early and established malaria infections using Swiss albino mice infected with Plasmodium berghei. Chloroquine phosphate (5 mg/kg/day, p.o.) was used as the standard drug. Results: IC50 values of the rutin and swertiamarin via in vitro study revealed (9.50 ± 0.29) μg/ mL and (8.17 ± 0.17) μg/mL respectively. Whereas, the combination in 1:1 ratio [IC50 of (5.51 ± 0.18) μg/mL] showed better antiplasmodial activity against Plasmodium falciparum. In vivo results showed that rutin and swertiamarin had chemosuppressant effects in a dose-dependent manner, whereas, combination in 1:1 ratio possessed potential antimalarial activity similar to chloroquine phosphate. The drug interaction between rutin and swertiamarin revealed the synergistic effect on 1:1 ratio and additive effect on 1:2 and 2:1 ratios. Conclusions: The results of the in vitro and in vivo study clearly indicate that the combination (1:1) of rutin and swertiamarin showed potential antimalarial activity rather than an individual of each and their combinations 1:2 and 2:1.

463-467

Authors: Shanmugam Perumal Shanthakumar, Kalimuthu Kovendan, Savariar Vincent, Vasantharaj David, Eliningaya J. Kweka

Objective: To evaluate the insecticidal property of the compound dipropyl-, S-propyl ester extracted from the Gram-positive rhizosphere bacterium against the fourth instars larvae of malaria vector, Anopheles culicifacies (An. culicifacies) and dengue vector, Aedes albopictus (Ae. albopictus). Methods: Bacteria were taxonomically identified as Exiguobacterium mexicanum (E. mexicanum) and different crude solvent extracts were examined for its larvicidal potential against mosquito vectors. The crude extract was eluted in silica gel column chromatography and the pure compound was identified. Results: The highest larvicidal activity against An. culicifacies was exhibited by ethyl acetate extract. The bacterium of E. mexicanum extract at 150, 300, 450, 600, 750 mg/L caused against both vector mosquito species. Hexane, chloroform, acetone, methanol and ethyl acetate caused moderate considerable mortality. The highest larval mortality was observed in ethyl acetate extract. Conclusions: The results of the bacterial extract of E. mexicanum are promising as potential larvicidal compound against the mosquito vectors (An. culicifacies and Ae. albopictus). Therefore, this study provides first report on the larvicidal activity with dipropyl-, S-propyl ester compound from India.

472-480

Authors: Godfrey Nattoh, Fredrick Musieba, Erastus Gatebe, Julius Mathara

Objective: To document differential distributions of phytomolecules by comparing antioxidant capacities, total phenolic contents, flavonoid contents and the identities of bioactive molecules on four phases of Pleurotus djamor. Methods: Several methods including in vitro quantitative methods such as aluminium chloride spectrophotometric for flavonoids, Folin-Ciocalteu assay for phenolics, spectrometric methods for lycopene, β-carotene and carotenoids, and several antioxidant methods, ferric ion reducing antioxidant power assay (FRAP); 2,2’-azino-bis (3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid (ABTS); and 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), were used. Besides, liquid chromatography quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry and ChemSpider database for the tentative identification of the compounds was utilized. Results: The total phenol contents in the 1st and 2nd primordial phases from ethanol and aqueous extracts were (14.369 ± 0.495), (11.470 ± 0.532) and (19.025 ± 0.847) and (14.824 ± 0.890) mg gallic acid equivalent/g dry weight, respectively. The total flavonoid contents ranged from (3.311 ± 0.730) to (14.824 ± 0.890) mg quercetin equivalent/g dry weight. The second primordials phase recorded the highest total carotenoid content [(3.926 ± 0.059) ug/mL dry weight]. The extracts were deprived of lycopene, β-carotene and total carotenoids. However, the primordials reported relatively high contents of all molecules tested. The antioxidant capacity based on FRAP, ABTS and DPPH assays showed that the primordials exhibited more significant capacities in scavenging for these radicals than the mycelia and fruiting phases. The correlation between FRAP, ABTS, DPPH and total phenolic content, total flavonoid content, lycopene, β-carotene were positive and significant (r > 0.8, P < 0.05). Liquid chromatography quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry analysis identified sixteen compounds using ChemSpide database. Phenolic acids, such as protocatechuic, hydroxycinnamic acid and stilbenes, and the flavonoids belonging to flavones, flavanones, isoflavone and anthocyanins were identified. The peak areas indicated significantly higher contents in the primordials phases for all compounds. Conclusions: The immature basidiocarps are potent sources of secondary metabolites that should be targeted for in vivo validation of their function in such systems.

486-488

Authors: Ayan Basu, Menal Wali, Bisakh Bhattacharya, Mehebubar Rahman, Yogiraj Ray, Rama Prosad Goswami

Lymphatic filariasis is caused by a nematode, namely, Wuchereria bancrofti, Brugia malayi and Brugia timori. Lymphatic filariasis is a spectrum of illness and can manifest as, asymptomatic microfilaria, acute lymphatic filariasis, chronic lymphatic filariasis, tropical pulmonary eosinophilia and some systemic manifestations which involves joint, heart, kidney, nerve etc. Here, we present a case of anasarca with nephritic syndrome caused by lymphatic filariasis which is a rare presentation and only few cases have been reported in India so far.

492-501

Authors: Moshera Mohamed El-Sherei, Alia Yassin Ragheb, Mona El Said Kassem, Mona Mohamed Marzouk, Salwa Ali Mosharrafa, Nabiel Abdel Megied Saleh

The genus Sterculia is represented by 200 species which are widespread mainly in tropical and subtropical regions. Some of the Sterculia species are classified under different genera based on special morphological features. These are Pterygota Schott & Endl., Firmiana Marsili, Brachychiton Schott & Endl., Hildegardia Schott & Endl., Pterocymbium R.Br. and Scaphium Schott & Endl. The genus Sterculia and the related genera contain mainly flavonoids, whereas terpenoids, phenolic acids, phenylpropanoids, alkaloids, and other types of compounds including sugars, fatty acids, lignans and lignins are of less distribution. The biological activities such as antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial and cytotoxic activities have been reported for several species of the genus. On the other hand, there is confusion on the systematic position and classification of the genus Sterculia. However, the wide range of the reported flavonoids in the present review is quite significant and can act as a guide for further studies from the chemosystematic point of view. Also the value of the genus Sterculia and its related genera in the traditional medicine and their effective biological activities led to the possibilities of finding new sources of drugs for prospect applications.