BackgroundBabesiosis threatens the development of the cattle and buffaloes industries in Egypt and improved control is needed. The main objectives of this study are surveying the presence of bovine babesiosis in distinct selected bovine and buffalo populations in Egypt using novel molecular and previously validated serological methods, while also comparing the occurrence of hematological alterations among Babesia infected cattle and buffalos.MethodsA total of 253 and 81 blood samples from apparently healthy cattle and buffaloes, respectively, were randomly collected from diverse locations in Egypt. All samples were tested for Babesia bovis and B. bigemina infection using blood film examination, competitive ELISA (cELISA) and PCR. Novel semi-nested and nested PCR assays for the detection of B. bovis and B. bigemina respectively, were developed and used to analyze DNA extracted from bovine and buffalo samples. Hematological profiles were studied using a hematological analyzer.ResultsBlood films examination revealed 13.8 % and 7.4 % Babesia infection rates in cattle and buffaloes, respectively. However, in cattle, the cELISA detected 32.8 %, 21.3 % and 10.7 % infection rates with B. bigemina, B. bovis and mixed infection, respectively. In addition, cELISA identified 22.2 %, 22.2 % and 6.2 % infection rates with B. bigemina, B. bovis and mixed infection, respectively in buffaloes. The semi-nested PCR assay showed that 15 % of the tested samples were positive for B. bovis in cattle, but just 3 % in buffaloes. Infections with B. bigemina were also found in cattle (32.4 %), but not in buffaloes upon nested PCR analysis. Sequencing analysis confirmed the identity of the PCR amplicons and showed that Egyptian genotypes of B. bigemina and B. bovis highly resemble sequences previously deposited in GenBank. Hemograms performed on the sampled animals revealed macrocytic hypochromic anemia associated with reduced platelet counts in infected cattle with babesiosis. In addition, marked increases in total leukocyte and granulocytic counts and decreases in lymphocytic counts were found in infected cattle. In contrast, no such hematological anomalies were found in presumably Babesia-infected buffaloes.ConclusionsFrequent occurrence of babesiosis among apparently healthy bovines in Egypt, suggests the need for appropriately designed prevalence studies in this country. Infected bovine, but not buffalo, populations often present hematological disorders compatible with intravascular hemolysis and thrombocytopenia.

Background Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are a diverse class of molecules that represent a vital part of innate immunity. AMPs are evolutionarily conserved molecules that exhibit structural and functional diversity. They provide a possible solution to the antibiotic-resistance crisis. Main text These small cationic peptides can target bacteria, fungi, and viruses, as well as cancer cells. Their unique action mechanisms, rare antibiotic-resistant variants, broad-spectrum activity, low toxicity, and high specificity encourage pharmaceutical industries to conduct clinical trials to develop them as therapeutic drugs. The rapid development of computer-assisted strategies accelerated the identification of AMPs. The Antimicrobial Peptide Database (APD) so far contains 3324 AMPs from different sources. In addition to their applications in different fields, some AMPs demonstrated the potential to combat COVID-19, and hinder viral infectivity in diverse ways. Conclusions This review provides a brief history of AMPs and their features, including classification, evolution, sources and mechanisms of action, biosynthesis pathway, and identification techniques. Furthermore, their different applications, challenges to clinical applications, and their potential use against COVID-19 are presented.

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Aim: The present study aimed to investigate the protective effect of Artemisia Judaica (A. Judaica) against doxorubicin (DOX)-induced toxicity in male mice. Place and Duration of Study: Department of Cell Biology, Genetic engineering and biotechnology division, National research centre, Egypt, between March 2016 and February 2017. Methodology: Male mice were divided into 7 groups (n=10) and treated as follow: the control group, the group treated with DMSO, the group injected (i.p.) with DOX , the groups treated with low and high dose of A. judaica extract and the groups injected (i.p.) with DOX and treated with low and high dose of A. judaica extract. Femur, testes and liver samples were collected for different analyses. Results: Our data showed that A. judaica significantly reversed the DOX-induced elevation of DNA fragmentation rate and MDA level in liver tissue, as well as declined chromosomal aberrations (CAs) either in the bone marrow cells or in the spermatocyte cells. Meanwhile, the expression of Ahmed et al.; ARRB, 18(3): 1-10, 2017; Article no.ARRB.35990 2 apoptosis-related genes (Bax and Caspase-3) in liver tissues was analyzed by quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) and results revealed that genes expression were up-regulated in DOX treated mice however; the administration of A. judaica didn't alter such increase. Conclusion: Overall, the findings indicated that A. judaica may attenuate the DOX-induced toxicity. However; further studies are required to confirm the protective effect of A. judaica extract against toxicity caused by DOX drug. Original Research Article