Background: This study aims at determining the effects of rearing water temperature on immature development, adult vectorial attributes and teneral accumulation in Culex quinquefasciatus (Cx. quinquefasciatus) mosquitoes. Immature life stages of the species were reared (to adulthood) in water media with temperature regimens of 28, 30, 32 and 34°C generated and maintained by digital electrical thermostats. Immature and adult vectorial attributes (i.e. duration of development, growth rates, immature and adult survivorship, emergence rates and adult longevity), and rates of accumulation, distribution and utilisation (for pupation and eclosion) of teneral reserve (lipid, glucose, glycogen and protein) by life stages of the species were determined. Result: Results revealed significant negative effects of temperature increase on all parameters measured. Among these, only rate of larval growth (range = 0.0589 ± 0.0017 to 0.0930 ± 0.0003 mg/day) increased with temperature rise; others reduced with rise in temperature. Total immature duration (9.75 ± 0.09 to 6.43 ± 0.11 days), immature survivorship (94.01 ± 0.18 to 73.26 ± 3.72%), total emergent adults (72.00 ± 2.14 to 14.50 ± 2.67 adults/100 larvae), percentage of emergence, adult daily survivorship (76.86 ± 1.87 to 63.66 ± 0.18%) and post-emergence longevity (23.91 ± 2.97 to 16.90 ± 1.97 days) reduced with increase in temperature. Accumulation of teneral components increased across larval instars, but decreased with temperature rise and at metamorphosis (pupation and eclosion). Immature composition for lipid, glucose, glycogen and protein ranged, respectively, from 9.79 ± 1.05 to 20. 07 ± 0.33, 8.49 ± 0.44 to 14.33 ± 0.44, 28.19 ± 2.34 to 42.87 ± 0.12 and 24.11 ± 0.71 to 35.55 ± 0.15 μg/mosquito. While, adult values for these ranged from 7.53 ± 0.40 to 20.66 ± 0.61, 7.45 ± 0.87 to 13.86 ± 0.83, 22.63 ± 0.85 to 33.64 ± 0.79, and 17.81 ± 1.02 to 31. 45 ± 1.40 μg/mosquito, respectively. Glycogen and protein had the highest rates of accumulation, while metabolic reserves utilised for pupation and eclosion varied significantly with temperature change.

This study investigated the effect of methanol extract of Musca domestica (400mg/kg body weight) on some biomarker enzymes and haematological parameters in Trypanosoma brucei brucei -infected rats. Twenty albino rats were intraperitoneally infected with Trypanosoma brucei brucei and were grouped into five (5) groups of four (4) rats each. Group1 was set up as infected not treated (0.2ml normal saline/kg body weight), group 2 was treated with diaminazene aceturate (standard drug), group 3 as prophylactic treated (treatment for 72 hours before inoculation of parasite), group 4 as early treatment with the extract (treatment commenced after the sight of parasite) and group 5 as the control (uninfected untreated) group. Results shows significant (p<0.05) decrease in liver AST and ALT activities with concomitant increase in serum activities of the infected untreated rats when compared with the early treated, prophylactic treated, standard treated and normal control. Serum ALP activity of the infected not treated group was significantly (p<0.05) higher when compared to the control group and other experimental groups. No significant (p>0.05) difference in the liver ALP activities of the extract treated infected groups with standard drug treated group However, serum and liver GGT activities of the uninfected untreated (control) was significantly lower (p<0.05) than all the other experimental groups. Haematological studies shows significant decrease (p<0.05) in packed cell volume (PCV) , haemoglobin concentration (Hb) and red blood cell count (RBC) of infected not treated when compared to infected prophylactic treated and infected early treated. There was likewise significant increase in white blood cell count (WBC) of infected not treated compared to infected prophylactic treated and infected early treated. Findings from this study showed that methanol extract of Musca domestica larva has trypanocidal properties thereby ameliorating the T. brucei induced biochemical changes in rats.

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Current World Health Organization estimates suggest that around 1.5 billion people worldwide and approximately a quarter of all people on earth, chiefly among the developing countries, are affected by intestinal parasites, despite the aggressive control and an alarming treatment over the years. Besides, the extensive use of the available chemotherapeutic agents, against the infection, has created widespread drug resistance problem. Probiotics, therapeutic non-pathogenic microorganisms have been recently identified as a novel alternative prophylactic and chemotherapeutic agents against several gastrointestinal parasites. They are mostly gram-positive bacteria, isolated from the human gut microflora or various dairy products such as curds, lassi and kulfi with characteristics non-pathogenic, resistant to low pH and acid. Their non-pathogenic symbiotic activities in the gut help in the restoration of gut bacteria microbiota by stimulating immune system, metabolism and anti-pathogenic effect, especially when administered in large quantity. In addition, several strains of probiotics have been identified to possess antiparasitic effects against some gastrointestinal parasites both in egg and larval stage of the parasites. This present review therefore elucidates the potential of probiotics in the treatment and management of gastrointestinal parasites. There is need for more clinical studies and especially molecular studies for better perception of the mechanism underlying the beneficial effects of probiotics on parasitic infections.