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The persistence of residual infection is one of the major factors in failure of the Global Programme to Eliminate Lymphatic Filariasis (GPELF). The present study aims to explore the status of sheath antibody and regulatory T cells (Tregs) known to play key roles in clearance of parasite and patent filarial infection, in individuals with residual infection after MDA. A total of 61 microfilaremic (Mf) individuals were followed up after at least 6 rounds of MDA. Infection status of subjects was assessed through the detection of Mf and circulating filarial antigen (CFA). Antibodies to Mf sheath were determined by immuno-peroxidase assay (IPA). The expression of Tregs was measured by a flow cytometer. IL-10 and IFN-γ were evaluated using the commercially available ELISA kit. The sheath antibody was present in subjects who have cleared both Mf and CFA and absent in individuals who were found to be Mf /CFA positive. Further individuals carrying infection have significantly high levels of Tregs and IL-10. A positive correlation was observed between Tregs, IL-10, and CFA in infected individuals. In contrast, a negative correlation was observed between IFN-γ and IL-10 in both infected and uninfected subjects. Our study reveals that the absence of a sheath antibody and a high level of Tregs and IL-10 are the hallmarks of the persistence of residual filarial infection.

Background Rhizome rot, caused primarily by Fusarium oxysporum, is one of the most destructive diseases leading to significant loss in ginger worldwide. The loss can be greatly reduced by proper disease management practices steered by accurate and early diagnosis of pathogens. Pathogen detection at an early stage of infection can also reduce the incidence of disease epidemics. Classical methods are often time consuming, relying on culturing the putative pathogens and the availability of expert taxonomic skills for accurate identification, which leads to the delayed application of control measures. The development of a simple, rapid, sensitive and cost-effective point-of-care diagnostic tool is thus one of the major research priorities for rhizome rot. Results The 65 kDa, immunoreactive protein band was selected as a diagnostic marker and was subjected to MS analysis followed by blastp. Based on blast result, a synthetic antigenic peptide was synthesized, and used to generate pAbs. The peptide-specific antibodies were used to develop a colloidal gold immunochromatographic assay (ICA). The sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of ICA were 92.59%, 81.25%, and 90%, respectively. The ICA has a visual detection limit of 2.122 μg mL-1 for infected rhizome samples and 5.065 μg mL-1 for leaf samples with optimal detection time within 5 min. Moreover, the ICA also detected early stage infected samples, of which 71.42% (50/70) were true positives. Conclusion Findings from this study indicated that the assay can be utilized as a tool for the investigation of rhizome rot infection in field samples. © 2019 Society of Chemical Industry.

The persistence of residual infection is one of the major factors in failure of the Global Programme to Eliminate Lymphatic Filariasis (GPELF). The present study aims to explore the status of sheath antibody and regulatory T cells (Tregs) known to play key roles in clearance of parasite and patent filarial infection, in individuals with residual infection after MDA. A total of 61 microfilaremic (Mf) individuals were followed up after at least 6 rounds of MDA. Infection status of subjects was assessed through the detection of Mf and circulating filarial antigen (CFA). Antibodies to Mf sheath were determined by immuno-peroxidase assay (IPA). The expression of Tregs was measured by a flow cytometer. IL-10 and IFN-γ were evaluated using the commercially available ELISA kit. The sheath antibody was present in subjects who have cleared both Mf and CFA and absent in individuals who were found to be Mf /CFA positive. Further individuals carrying infection have significantly high levels of Tregs and IL-10. A positive correlation was observed between Tregs, IL-10, and CFA in infected individuals. In contrast, a negative correlation was observed between IFN-γ and IL-10 in both infected and uninfected subjects. Our study reveals that the absence of a sheath antibody and a high level of Tregs and IL-10 are the hallmarks of the persistence of residual filarial infection.

Edible medicinal plants Curcuma longa, Kaempferia galanga and Zingiber officinale are considered to be suitable for pregnant mother and neonates. Their essential oils are claimed to have therapeutic effects, yet its immunomodulatory activities need to be investigated. To validate the immunomodulatory effect, cord blood monocyte cells (CBMCs) treated with different concentrations of essential oils ranging from 0 to 40 µg/ml. K. galanga oil at 40 µg/ml concentrations upregulated IFN-γ at 49.23 pg/ml, while C. longa oil downregulated the IL-10 at 10.45 pg/ml showing immunostimulant activity on CBMCs. However, Z. officinale oil showed no significant result at any concentration. K. galanga and C. longa oils also showed an increase in lymphocyte proliferation in a dose-dependent manner. The present study was aimed to evaluate the immunomodulatory potentialities of essential oils which will attract the interest of researchers and pharmaceutical industries for clinical studies and other applications in the therapy of diseases related to neonatal infections.

Polyclonal antibodies against Pythium aphanidermatum and Fusarium oxysporum proteins were developed for the detection of rhizome rot in ginger using serological assays. Under optimal experimental conditions, the detection limit of P. aphanidermatum by indirect ELISA was 10 µg/ml with a linear working range from 5 to 100 µg/ml (R2 = 0.994). In case of F. oxysporum, the linear working range was 5–100 µg/ml (R2 = 0.991) and the limit of detection was 25 µg/ml. The developed antibodies showed the highest titer in ELISA at 1:2000 dilutions. Sodium dodecyl sulfate–polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis identified proteins ranging from molecular weights 15–97 kDa and 14–116 kDa of P. aphanidermatum and F. oxysporum isolates, respectively. In Western blot analysis, the developed antisera gave positive reactions against the isolated antigens of the fungi. The antibodies revealed immune-reactive bands of molecular weights 59 and 65 kDa in P. aphanidermatum and 44 and 75 kDa in F. oxysporum. The results suggest that the developed antibodies could be successfully applied for the specific immunodetection of P. aphanidermatum and F. oxysporum at an early stage of rhizome rot disease.

NO donor drugs showed a significant therapeutic effect in the treatment of many diseases, such as arteriopathies, various acute and chronic inflammatory conditions, and several degenerative diseases. NO-releasing anti-inflammatory drugs are the prototypes of a novel class of compounds, combining the pharmacological activities of anti-inflammatory and anti-nociceptive of drugs with those of NO, thus possessing potential therapeutic applications in a great variety of diseases. In this study, we designed and predicted biological activity by targeting cyclooxygenase type 2 (COX-2) and NF-κB subunits and pharmacological profiling along with toxicity predictions of various N-aryl piperamides linked via an ester bond to a spacer that is bound to a NO-releasing moiety (-ONO2). The result of absorption, distribution, metabolism and excretion and Docking studies indicated that among 51 designed molecules PA-3'K showed the best binding potential in both the substrate and inhibitory binding pocket of the COX-2 enzyme with affinity values of -9.33 and -5.12 for PDB ID 1CVU and 3LN1, respectively, thereby having the potential to be developed as a therapeutic agent. The results of cell viabilities indicated that PA-3'k possesses the best cell viability property with respect to its dose (17.33 ng/ml), with 67.76% and 67.93% viable cells for CHME3 and SVG cell lines, respectively.

Early and precise diagnosis of diseases in turmeric (Curcuma longa L.) permits early treatment which can enhance yield and quality of Indian spices. In the present study, polyclonal antibody (pAb) raised against the protein extract from Pythium aphanidermatum was established for the detection of rhizome rot using serological assays. The fungal proteins were recognized by ELISA with high sensitivity (50 ng) and the proteins ranging from 15 to 95 kDa showed immuno-reactivity in Western blot using the developed pAb. Correlation coefficient between infected samples at various stages from different agroclimatic zones with antibody titres was taken as the primary endpoint for standardization of the protocol. Highest positive correlation (r = 0.999) was observed in stage I and II infected samples of North-western zone, whereas low negative correlation (r = −0.284) was found in stage III infected samples of Western zone with developed pAb. Linear positive correlations (R2) exist between antigenic proteins at all the stages of infection and the developed pAb titres. Hence, the developed pAbs could be used to detect the presence of the fungal pathogen at an early stage. These serological approaches allow us to develop a rapid, sensitive, specific and accurate diagnostic kit for early detection of rhizome rot in turmeric.

Objectives The epidemics of cholera were reported in the Kashipur, K.singhpur, B cuttack blocks of Rayagada district and Mohana block of Gajapati district of Odisha during 2010. The present study was carried out to isolate the bacterial pathogen, its drug sensitivity pattern and to describe the spread of the disease in those areas. Methods A total of 68 rectal swabs collected from patients with severe diarrhea, admitted to different health centers and diarrhea affected villages were bacteriologically analyzed. Similarly 22 water samples collected from different villages from nala, chua, etc were tested for the presence of V cholerae . Results Out of 68 rectal swabs tested 35 (51.5%) were V cholerae O1 Ogawa and 14(20.6%) were E coli; which might be commensals. All water samples were negative for V cholerae . The V cholerae strains were sensitive to gentamicin, norfloxacin, ciprofloxacin, azithromycin and ofloxacin; but were resistant to ampicillin, tetracycline, nalidixic acid, furazolidone, streptomycin, erythromycin, co-trimoxazole, neomycin and chloramphenicol. All V cholerae strains were 100% resistant to tetracycline and they were El Tor variants harboring ctx B gene of classical strain. Conclusions The present study indicated the emergence and spread of tetracycline resistant V cholerae O1 El Tor variant in the tribal areas which needs close monitoring.

Background Children born from filarial infected mothers are comparatively more susceptible to filarial infection than the children born to uninfected mothers. But the mechanism of such increased susceptibility to infection in early childhood is not exactly known. Several studies have shown the association of active filarial infection with T cell hypo-responsiveness which is mediated by regulatory T cells (Tregs). Since the Tregs develop in the thymus from CD4+ CD25hi thymocytes at an early stage of the human fetus, it can be hypothesized that the maternal infection during pregnancy affects the development of Tregs in children at birth as well as early childhood. Hence the present study was designed to test the hypothesis by selecting a cohort of pregnant mothers and children born to them subsequently in a filarial endemic area of Odisha, India. Methodology and Principal finding A total number of 49 pregnant mothers and children born to them subsequently have been followed up (mean duration 4.4 years) in an area where the microfilariae (Mf) rate has come down to, Author Summary Lymphatic filariasis caused by thread like filarial worms involves asymptomatic to acute and/or disfiguring chronic conditions like lymphoedema, elephantiasis and scrotal swelling. Infection occurs when filarial parasites are transmitted to humans through mosquitoes. Adult worms lodge in the lymphatic system and disrupt the immune system that causes the disease. Nonetheless the infection if present during pregnancy, it affects the immune system of the unborn child in such a way that they become more susceptible to infection. But how the immune system of a fetus is affected by the maternal filarial infection is not known. Since regulatory T cells are responsible for development of hyporesponsiveness, a condition that supports the active filarial infection, and develops in thymus at an early stage of the human fetal development, we hypothesized that maternal filarial infection might be affecting the development of Tregs cell. Because Tregs secret IL-10, a regulatory cytokine, we have also measured its level in children born to infected and uninfected mother and correlate it with Tregs. We have observed a significantly high as well as a positive correlation between Tregs and IL-10 levels in children born to infected mother than the children of uninfected mother at the time of birth as well as early childhood indicating that Tregs and IL-10 contribute to immune modulation during pregnancy. Since ongoing MDA excludes pregnant mothers and children below 2 years of age, hence implementation of supervised therapy at the time of adolescent through MDA may help the programme in achieving the target of global elimination of LF by 2020.

Fungal diseases in commercially important plants results in a significant reduction in both quality and yield, often leading to the loss of an entire plant. In order to minimize the losses, it is essential to detect and identify the pathogens at an early stage. Early detection and accurate identification of pathogens can control the spread of infection. The present article provides a comprehensive overview of conventional methods, current trends and advances in fungal pathogen detection with an emphasis on biosensors. Traditional techniques are the "gold standard" in fungal detection which relies on symptoms, culture-based, morphological observation and biochemical identifications. In recent times, with the advancement of biotechnology, molecular and immunological approaches have revolutionized fungal disease detection. But the drawback lies in the fact that these methods require specific and expensive equipments. Thus, there is an urgent need for rapid, reliable, sensitive, cost effective and easy to use diagnostic methods for fungal pathogen detection. Biosensors would become a promising and attractive alternative, but they still have to be subjected to some modifications, improvements and proper validation for on-field use.