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Although many drugs have been discovered to treat malaria infection, many of them face resistance from the host’s body with long-term use. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the activity of betalains (from Beta vulgaris) and chloroquine (a reference drug) against brain oxidative stress induced by Plasmodium berghei in male mice. Two protocols were applied in this study: the therapeutic and prophylactic protocols. The results of the therapeutic protocol revealed a significant decrease in the level of parasitemia caused by P. berghei. Additionally, the histopathological changes in various brain regions were markedly improved after treatment with betalains. Regarding the prophylactic protocol, betalains were able to protect the brain tissues from oxidative stress, inflammation, and disrupted neurotransmitters expected to occur as a result of infection by P. berghei. This was demonstrated by modulating the activities of brain antioxidants (SOD and GSH), inflammatory cytokines (IL-6, IL-10, IL-12, TNF-α, and INF-γ), and neurotransmitters (serotonin, epinephrine, and norepinephrine). This study has proven that using betalains as a treatment or as a preventive has a vital and effective role in confronting the brain histopathological, oxidative stress, and inflammatory changes induced by P. berghei infection.

Cryptosporidiosis is a serious parasitic diarrheal disease linked to the occurrence of colorectal cancer in immunocompromised patients. The FDA-approved drug nitazoxanide (NTZ) achieved a temporary effect, and relapses occur. Annona muricata leaf is widely used in traditional medicine to treat a wide range of disorders, including antiparasitic and anticancer effects. So, this study aimed to investigate Annona muricata leaf antiparasitic and anticancer properties compared to NTZ in Cryptosporidium parvum (C. parvum) acutely and chronically infected immunosuppressed mice. A molecular docking analysis was performed to evaluate the effectiveness of some biologically active compounds that represented the pharmacological properties of Annona muricata leaf-rich extract toward C. parvum lactate dehydrogenase compared to NTZ. For the in vivo study, eighty immunosuppressed albino mice were classified into four groups as follows: group I: infected and treated with A. muricata; group II: infected and treated with nitazoxanide; group III: infected and received no treatment; and group IV: were neither infected nor treated. Furthermore, half of the mice in groups I and II received the drugs on the 10th day post-infection (dpi), and the other half received treatment on the 90th day post-infection. Parasitological, histopathological, and immunohistochemical evaluations were performed. The docking analysis showed that the lowest estimated free energy of binding of annonacin, casuarine, L-epigallocatechin, P-coumaric acid, and ellagic acid toward C. parvum LDH, were −6.11, −6.32, −7.51, −7.81, and −9.64 kcal/mol, respectively, while NTZ was −7.03 kcal/mol. Parasitological examination displayed a significantly high difference in C. parvum oocyst mean counts in groups I and II compared to group III (p-value < 0.001), with group I demonstrating the highest efficacy. The analyses of histopathological and immunohistochemical results revealed that group I showed restoration of the normal villous pattern without evidence of dysplasia or malignancy. A. muricata leaf has proved to be a reliable agent for Cryptosporidium treatment. This paper argues for its promising use as an antiparasitic agent and for the prevention of neoplastic sequels of Cryptosporidium infection.

Objective: The study aims to assess the overall safety of cultured tilapias in Jeddah City, Saudi Arabia by assessing the impact of infection and anthropogenic pollution on farmed tilapias based on fish sex, body weight, length, and heavy metals contamination. Materials and methods: A total of 111 fish were collected from an aquaculture farm in Hada Al-Sham, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Physicochemical parameters of water from the culture system were evaluated. Both ecto- and endoparasites were checked. Haematological, biochemical and histopathological investigations were evaluated. In addition, heavy metals, namely, cadmium (Cd), chromium (Cr), copper (Cu), nickel (Ni), lead (Pb), and zinc (Zn) were evaluated in different fish tissues and water samples from the aquaculture system. Results: The study revealed stressed aquaculture system. Tilapias were infested by both ectoparasites including Trichodina, Icthyophthirius multifiliis, Dactylogrus, and Cichlidogyrus, and endoparasites as Icthyophonus hoferi, the nematode Capillaria and coccidian protozoa. The study showed that male tilapias had greater infestation rates than females and longer and heavier male fish tended to be more susceptible to Dactylogyrus infection. Infected fish showed altered biochemical markers with subsequent increases in inflammatory and oxidative stress markers. The post-mortem lesion in the skin, gill lamellae, intestine, spleen, and liver showed significant pathological remarks. All investigated fish tissues revealed higher rates of heavy metals bioaccumulation compared to the surrounding waters. On the other hand, infected Nile tilapia tissues showed higher rate of metals accumulation compared to non-infected ones. Metals accumulated at a higher rate in the liver followed by kidney, intestine, gills, and muscles, respectively. Conclusions: This study is recognized as the first to address the food safety of farmed tilapias in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. The results emphasized a significant relation between parasites and heavy metal in disrupting fish defense systems and harming fish’s physiological homeostasis and the histological state of tissues. The parasitized and polluted farmed fish pose health risk to humans due to possible zoonosis from parasitic infections and its subsequent bacterial infections with long-term exposure to toxic chemicals. Addressing the need for a combination of improved aquaculture practices, and stringent regulatory oversight.

is a common haemosporidian worldwide blood parasite affecting domestic pigeons ( ). Therefore, this study aimed to detect the incidence of infection in domestic pigeons with morpho-molecular identification. In the current study, blood samples were collected from 125 domestic pigeons between 2023 and 2024 and analyzed using both microscopic and molecular techniques. positive birds underwent postmortem (PM) and histopathological examinations, as well as cytokine immunological reaction assessments. It was found that around 8% (10/125) of pigeons were positive for infection, and their morphological characteristics were reported. induces observable macroscopic and microscopic alterations in the infected tissues, which increases the cytokine immunological reaction in the infected birds. The infected birds suffered from severe histopathological changes in most haemopoietic and parenchymatous organs. The transcript levels of inflammatory markers such as IL-6, IFN-γ, and IL-1β were significantly upregulated in -infected birds. Additionally, the samples' mRNA level of the apoptotic Cas-3 indicated apoptotic activity. Hematic parasites can pose a serious health threat to pigeons as they invade red blood cells and internal organs, leading to anemia, weakness, weight loss, and even death in severe cases. Epidemiological studies and surveys are essential for monitoring these hematologic parasites. Furthermore, additional research is recommended to evaluate the efficacy of various herbal extracts in comparison to the most frequently used drugs for managing this issue in affected pigeons.

Thileriosis is a tick -born disease caused by hemoprotozoan parasites which has global veterinary and economic implications. Blood samples were collected from 216 sheep and 83 goats from Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, were analyzed to determine whether the animals were infected with spp. parasites. The parasites were detected using a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) targeting the gene of followed by sequencing. According to obtained findings, spp. were detected in sheep (57.8%, 48/83) and goats (51.9%, 112/216). Phylogenetic analysis to sequence data showed that identified in this study were found to be closely connected to an isolate from Turkey, with 84.4-99.8% pairwise identity and 52.35-99.79% coverage.

Background Diabetic nephropathy (DN) is a leading cause of end-stage renal disease (ESRD) among individuals with diabetes, highlighting the urgent need for effective therapeutic strategies to combat this condition. Prior research has indicated that T. spiralis possesses hypoglycemic properties. In this investigation, we aimed to evaluate the efficacy of T. spiralis antigens, derived from both adult and larval forms, in treating diabetic nephropathy in alloxan-induced diabetic mice (AIDM). Methods A total of forty Swiss albino mice were allocated into four groups, each consisting of ten mice. Diabetes was induced in three of the groups using alloxan, while one group served as a control without diabetes. Two diabetic groups received treatment with either crude larva (CLA) antigen or adult worm antigen (AWA), while one group remained untreated. The study assessed various parameters, including fasting blood glucose levels, blood urea, serum creatinine, and serum albumin across all groups. Additionally, histopathological examinations of the kidneys were conducted. Results The results indicated that treatment with CLA or AWA antigens led to a significant reduction in blood glucose, serum creatinine, and blood urea levels, alongside an increase in serum albumin. Notably, the administration of AWA antigens resulted in substantial improvements in renal pathological changes induced by diabetes, as evidenced by hematoxylin and eosin staining and Masson trichrome staining, which also demonstrated a reduction in fibrosis. Conclusions The findings suggest that T. spiralis antigens may mitigate renal damage in diabetic mice by alleviating hyperglycemia-induced inflammation and oxidative stress, warranting further investigation into their potential role in preventing DN in diabetic patients.

Background Toxoplasma gondii ( T. gondii ) infects one third of the world’s population with significant illness, mainly among immunocompromised individuals and pregnant women. Treatment options for toxoplasmosis are limited which signifies the need for novel, potent, and safe therapeutic options. The goal of this study was to assess the effectiveness of the ethanolic extract of Zingiber officinale ( Z. officinale ) in treating mice infected with the RH T. gondii strain. Materials and methods Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry (GC/MS) was used to identify components of ethanolic extract of Z. officinale . A total of 80 mice were randomly allocated into four experimental groups that contained 20 mice each. The first group was left uninfected (uninfected control), while three groups were infected with T. gondii RH virulent strain tachyzoites at 2500 tachyzoites/mouse. One infected group was left untreated (infected, untreated), whereas the other two groups were treated orally with either spiramycin (positive control) or Z. officinale ethanolic extract at doses of 200 mg/kg and 500 mg/kg, respectively for 5 days, starting the day of infection. Ten mice from each group were used to assess mice survival in different groups, whereas the other ten mice in each group were sacrificed on the 5th day post-infectin (dpi) to estimate the treatment efficacy by quantifying liver parasite load, liver function, nitric oxide (NO) production, and levels of antioxidant enzymes. Additionally, histopathological studies were performed to evaluate the therapeutic effect of Z. officinale treatment on toxoplasmosis-induced pathological alterations in liver, brain, and spleen. Results Treatment with Z. officinale ethanolic extract extended the survival of mice till 9th dpi compared to 7th dpi in infected untreated mice. Higher percentage of mice survived in Z. officinale -treated group compared to spiramycin-treatment group at different time points. Liver parasite loads were significantly lower in Z. officinale extract-treated mice and spiramycin-treated mice compared to infected untreated mice which correlated with significantly lower levels of serum liver enzymes (ALT, AST) and nitric oxide (NO), as well as significantly higher catalase (CAT) antioxidant enzyme activity. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) examination of tachyzoites from the peritoneal fluid revealed marked damage in tachyzoites from Z. officinale -treated group compared to that from infected untreated mice. Moreover, treatment with Z. officinale ethanolic extract alleviated infection-induced pathological alterations and restored normal tissue morphology of liver, brain, and spleen. Conclusion Our results demonstrated that Z. officinale treatment reduced parasite burden and reversed histopathological and biochemical alterations in acute murine toxoplasmosis. These findings support the potential utility of Z. officinale as a future effective natural therapeutic for toxoplasmosis. Further studies are needed to determine the effective active ingredient in Z. officinale extract that can be further optimized for treatment of toxoplasmosis .

Cryptosporidiosis is a serious parasitic diarrheal disease linked to the occurrence of colorectal cancer in immunocompromised patients. The FDA-approved drug nitazoxanide (NTZ) achieved a temporary effect, and relapses occur. Annona muricata leaf is widely used in traditional medicine to treat a wide range of disorders, including antiparasitic and anticancer effects. So, this study aimed to investigate Annona muricata leaf antiparasitic and anticancer properties compared to NTZ in Cryptosporidium parvum (C. parvum) acutely and chronically infected immunosuppressed mice. A molecular docking analysis was performed to evaluate the effectiveness of some biologically active compounds that represented the pharmacological properties of Annona muricata leaf-rich extract toward C. parvum lactate dehydrogenase compared to NTZ. For the in vivo study, eighty immunosuppressed albino mice were classified into four groups as follows: group I: infected and treated with A. muricata; group II: infected and treated with nitazoxanide; group III: infected and received no treatment; and group IV: were neither infected nor treated. Furthermore, half of the mice in groups I and II received the drugs on the 10th day post-infection (dpi), and the other half received treatment on the 90th day post-infection. Parasitological, histopathological, and immunohistochemical evaluations were performed. The docking analysis showed that the lowest estimated free energy of binding of annonacin, casuarine, L-epigallocatechin, P-coumaric acid, and ellagic acid toward C. parvum LDH, were −6.11, −6.32, −7.51, −7.81, and −9.64 kcal/mol, respectively, while NTZ was −7.03 kcal/mol. Parasitological examination displayed a significantly high difference in C. parvum oocyst mean counts in groups I and II compared to group III (p-value < 0.001), with group I demonstrating the highest efficacy. The analyses of histopathological and immunohistochemical results revealed that group I showed restoration of the normal villous pattern without evidence of dysplasia or malignancy. A. muricata leaf has proved to be a reliable agent for Cryptosporidium treatment. This paper argues for its promising use as an antiparasitic agent and for the prevention of neoplastic sequels of Cryptosporidium infection.