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Since 2019, Lumpy skin disease (LSD) has suddenly spread in many Asian countries, including India. LSD primarily occurs in cattle. However, recent LSD outbreaks in India have also revealed significant morbidity and production losses in buffaloes. This has raised concerns about the role of buffaloes in the epidemiology and transmission of LSD and necessitates the inclusion of buffaloes in the mass vaccination program for the prevention and control of the disease in the country. However, there is no significant data on the immune response in buffaloes following vaccination with the LSD vaccine. In this study, we evaluated antibody- and cell-mediated immune responses following vaccination with a newly developed live-attenuated LSD vaccine (Lumpi-ProVac Ind ). The detectable amount of anti-LSDV antibodies was observed at 1-2 months following vaccination, with a peak antibody titer at 3 months. Upon stimulation of the peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) with the UV-inactivated LSDV antigen, there was a significant increase in CD8 + T cell counts in vaccinated animals as compared to the unvaccinated animals. Besides, vaccinated animals also showed a significant increase in IFN-γ levels upon antigenic stimulation of their PBMCs with LSDV antigen. In conclusion, the buffaloes also mount a potent antibody- and cell-mediated immune response following vaccination with Lumpi-ProVac Ind ., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature B.V.)

Monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) have become indispensable tools in various fields, from research to therapeutics, diagnostics, and industries. However, their production, primarily in mammalian cell culture systems, is cost-intensive and resource-demanding. Microalgae, diverse photosynthetic microorganisms, are gaining attention as a favorable option for manufacturing mAbs and various other recombinant proteins. This review explores the potential of microalgae as a robust expression system for biomanufacturing high-value proteins. It also highlights the diversity of microalgae species suitable for recombinant protein. Nuclear and chloroplast genomes of some microalgae have been engineered to express mAbs and other valuable proteins. Codon optimization, vector construction, and other genetic engineering techniques have significantly improved recombinant protein expression in microalgae. These accomplishments demonstrate the potential of microalgae for biopharmaceutical manufacturing. Microalgal biotechnology holds promise for revolutionizing the production of mAbs and other therapeutic proteins, offering a sustainable and cost-effective solution to address critical healthcare needs., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Austria, part of Springer Nature.)

Equine influenza (EI) is a highly contagious acute respiratory disease of equines caused by the H3N8 subtype of Influenza A virus i.e. equine influenza virus (EIV). Vaccination is an important and effective tool for the control of EI in equines. Most of the commercial influenza vaccines are produced in embryonated hen's eggs which has several inherent disadvantages. Hence, subunit vaccine based on recombinant haemagglutinin (HA) antigen, being the most important envelope glycoprotein has been extensively exploited for generating protective immune responses, against influenza A and B viruses. We hypothesized that novel vaccine formulation using baculovirus expressed recombinant HA1 (rHA1) protein coupled with bacteriophage will generate strong protective immune response against EIV. In the present study, the recombinant HA1 protein was produced in insect cells using recombinant baculovirus having cloned HA gene of EIV (Florida clade 2 sublineage) and the purified rHA1 was chemically coupled with bacteriophage using a crosslinker to produce rHA1-phage vaccine candidate. The protective efficacy of vaccine preparations of rHA1-phage conjugate and only rHA1 proteins were evaluated in mouse model through assessing serology, cytokine profiling, clinical signs, gross and histopathological changes, immunohistochemistry, and virus quantification. Immunization of vaccine preparations have stimulated moderate antibody response (ELISA titres-5760 ± 640 and 11,520 ± 1280 for rHA1 and rHA1-phage, respectively at 42 dpi) and elicited strong interferon (IFN)-γ expression levels after three immunizations of vaccine candidates. The immunized BALB/c mice were protected against challenge with wild EIV and resulted in reduced clinical signs and body weight loss, reduced pathological changes, decreased EIV antigen distribution, and restricted EIV replication in lungs and nasopharynx. In conclusion, the immune responses with moderate antibody titer and significantly higher cytokine responses generated by the rHA1-phage vaccine preparation without any adjuvant could be a novel vaccine candidate for quick vaccine preparation through further trials of vaccine in the natural host., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature B.V.)

In this study, we demonstrated the antiviral efficacy of hesperetin against multiple poxviruses, including buffalopox virus (BPXV), vaccinia virus (VACV), and lumpy skin disease virus (LSDV). The time-of-addition and virus step-specific assays indicated that hesperetin reduces the levels of viral DNA, mRNA, and proteins in the target cells. Further, by immunoprecipitation (IP) of the viral RNA from BPXV-infected Vero cells and a cell-free RNA-IP assay, we demonstrated that hesperetin-induced reduction in BPXV protein synthesis is also consistent with diminished interaction between eukaryotic translation initiation factor eIF4E and the 5' cap of viral mRNA. Molecular docking and MD simulation studies were also consistent with the binding of hesperetin to the cap-binding pocket of eIF4E, adopting a conformation similar to m7GTP binding. Furthermore, in a BPXV egg infection model, hesperetin was shown to suppress the development of pock lesions on the chorioallantoic membrane and associated mortality in the chicken embryos. Most importantly, long-term culture of BPXV in the presence of hesperetin did not induce the generation of drug-resistant viral mutants. In conclusion, we, for the first time, demonstrated the antiviral activity of hesperetin against multiple poxviruses, besides providing some insights into its potential mechanisms of action., (© 2024 Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

Glanders is a highly infectious and notifiable disease of equines that occurs due to Burkholderia mallei . In India, glanders re-emerged in 2006 and thereafter regular outbreaks have been reported in various states ( n  = 14). Frequent and prolonged contact with equids with glanders may transmit B. mallei infection to humans. This study was designed to learn more about the Knowledge, Awareness and Perception (KAP) of veterinarians, para veterinarians, and physicians about equine glanders, which will help in enhancing the nation-wide glanders eradication programme. A total of 165 respondent's from 11 Indian states and one union territory were surveyed. Most of the respondents ( n  = 160) were from equine glanders affected or endemic states. Knowledge gap analysis revealed that 40.3 and 22% of the participants were not aware of government regulations and the transmission of glanders, respectively. These are major concerns given the wide spread occurrence of disease in the country. Awareness test on glanders revealed that 65(39.4%) participants would collect biological samples for laboratory confirmation, 67(40.6%) would inform the concerned authorities and 106 (64.2%) replied that they would eliminate the glanders infected equines. Analysis of perception towards equine glanders showed that majority of the participants ( n  = 113, 68.4%) observed that equine keepers were reluctant to disclose the clinical symptoms of B. mallei infection. Furthermore, non-co-operation and unwillingness by superiors (33.9%), financial (31%), administrative (28.4%), and technical limitations (27.8%) were major constraints under the perception analysis. This study reveals that veterinarians need to be educated on governmental policies and guidelines on equine glanders with regular training and awareness programs. Intersectoral co-ordination to investigate human glanders is also needed., 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 © 2024 Raj, Pathak, Karuppusamy, Tripathi, Tripathi and Singha.)

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: Breast cancer is a major cause of death among human females across the globe. The anti-neoplastic agents or therapies used for the treatment of cancers can enhance longevity but are subsequently observed to deteriorate the quality of life due to the extensive side effects produced. Saussurea costus is a potential medicinal plant of the Himalayas with noticeable ethnopharmacological properties. The phytochemicals present in Saussurea costus are responsible for anti-carcinogenic potential and warranted nil or minimal side effects of Saussurea costus and directed to use this plant as a preventive or therapeutic drug candidate against cancers., Aim of the Study: The present study was planned to evaluate the anti-neoplastic activity of Saussurea costus root extract (SL) in rat mammary tumour model., Materials and Methods: The anti-neoplastic activity of SL root extract at 3 different doses (100, 250 and 500 mg/kg BW) for 18 weeks against 12-dimethylbenz (a) anthracene (DMBA)-induced mammary tumours in Sprague Dawley (SD) female rats was analyzed through serum biochemistry (ALT, AST, ALP, Total protein, Creatinine and BUN), oxidative stress parameters (Lipid peroxidation, Catalase and Reduced glutathione), pro-inflammatory cytokines (TNF-α and NF-κB), immunohistochemical markers (Ki-67, MMP-9 and VEGF), real-time PCR (PCNA, p53, bax, bcl-2 and caspase-3, genes) and molecular docking., Results: Inhibition of tumour parameters, minimal alteration in the liver (ALT, AST and ALP) and kidney enzymes (Creatinine and BUN), decreased activity of MDA, elevated levels of GSH and catalase, reduction in the levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines i.e. TNF-α and NF-κB, reduced gross and histomorphological changes, declined expression of Ki-67, MMP-9 and VEGF in vivo rat model, mRNA expression of cancer-related genes and docking of dehydrocostus lactone and costunolide with NF-κB and TNF-α demonstrated the chemopreventive action of SL root extract., Conclusions: The in-vivo trial elucidates anti-neoplastic activity of Saussurea costus root extract as demonstrated through the reduction of biochemical indices, oxidative stress parameters, histological changes, pro-inflammatory cytokines (NF-κB and TNF-α), cellular proliferation (Ki-67), metastases (MMP-9) and neovascularization (VEGF) markers with highest anti-neoplastic effect of SL extract at the dose of 500 mg/kg body weight. Therefore, the present study signifies the need to use the active principles present in the root extract of Saussurea costus against breast cancer as a therapeutic regimen., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest 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., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)