ayatollah nasrollahi omran

After Aspergillus fumigatus , A. flavus is the second leading cause of invasive and non-invasive aspergillosis. These fungi are of significant epidemiological importance in provinces with dry and hot climates.

In the present study, antifungal susceptibility testing (AFST) and genotyping of sixty-five A. flavus clinical isolates originating from patients in Mazandaran and Tehran were performed.

Antifungal susceptibility testing of 65 clinical isolates of A. flavus was conducted against amphotericin B (AMB), itraconazole (ITR), voriconazole (VOR), posaconazole (POS), isavuconazole (ISA), luliconazole (LUL), lanoconazole (LAN), and 5-fluorocytosine according to the Clinical Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) method (M38-A2). The minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) were determined for each antifungal drug against all strains. Additionally, microsatellite typing using six variable number tandem repeat (VNTR) markers was performed to assess the genetic diversity and potential relationships among the clinical strains.

Luliconazole had the lowest geometric mean MIC (0.020 μg/mL), followed by LAN (0.021 μg/mL), POS (0.089 μg/mL), ISA (0.115 μg/mL), ITR (0.220 μg/mL), VOR (0.244 μg/mL), AMB (0.870 μg/mL), and 5-fluorocytosine (58.76 μg/mL). Microsatellite typing revealed sixty-five distinct sequence genotypes. Statistically, there was no significant relationship between genotypes and AFST profiles (P ≥ 0.05).

Luliconazole and lanoconazole demonstrated the greatest in vitro activity among all tested antifungals. However, most A. flavus strains exhibited reduced sensitivity to AMB. Microsatellite genotyping indicated no genetic similarity among the clinical strains, revealing high genetic diversity among A. flavus isolates obtained from clinical samples.

Mucormycosis is a severe and potentially fatal fungal infection caused by opportunistic fungi belonging to the class Zygomycetes. Coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) is a severe worldwide disease. One of the problems faced by Covid-19 patients is concurrent infection with microbial agents such as life-threatening fungal infections. Studies show that people with diabetes who have recovered from COVID-19 are more likely to develop mucormycosis. In addition, patients with COVID-19 are at increased risk of acute heart damage, arrhythmias, thromboembolic complication, and secondary infection. However, the exact reasons and mechanisms of increasing this deadly infection need to be investigated to understand the pathogenicity and discover reasonable ways of prevention and treatment. Studies show that increasing overuse of steroids, antibiotics, and zinc as an act of self-medication during the Covid-19 epidemy may increase intestinal microbiota dysbiosis, thereby suppressing the system—immunity in the group at risk of this fungus. Ocular and cerebral mucormycosis is the most common form of the disease, with a mortality rate of over 49%, especially in patients with pulmonary or diffuse or cerebral mucormycosis. In addition, a significant proportion of survivors of the disease showed symptoms such as 46% vision loss. This article addresses potential mechanisms, host-related factors, pathogenicity, and innate and acquired immune system responses that may help understand the mystery of the sudden, severe, and fatal increase in mucormycosis infections due to Covid-19. Early detection of such conditions with the above-mentioned consequences is vital for optimal treatment and better results.

Dermatophytosis is one of the most prevalent zoonotic diseases. Increased resistance of dermatophytosis causing pathogens against antidermatophytic agents highlights the need for alternative medicine with higher efficiency and lower side effects. In the present study, the in vitro antifungal activities of different concentrations of Gracilaria corticata methanol extract against Trichophyton mentagrophytes, Microsporum canis, and Microsporum gypseum were assessed and their efficacy was evaluated in rat dermatophytosis models.

The broth microdilution and well diffusion methods were used to determine the in vitro antidermatophytic activity. The in vivo study was carried out using 40 dermatophytosis-infected adults male Wistar rats. The animals were divided into 4 groups (5% and 10% G. corticata ointment, terbinafine, and Vaseline) and treated with ointment until complete recovery. The percentage of wound closure was calculated for each group.

The results revealed that G. corticata methanol extract was effective to varying extents against the tested dermatophytes. The highest inhibitory activity of G. corticata was found against T. mentagrophytes with minimum inhibitory concentration and minimum fungicidal concentration values of 4 and 9 µg mL-1, respectively. The in vivo experiment revealed that 10% G. corticata ointment significantly accelerated skin lesions reduction and completely cured M. gypseum, T. mentagrophytes, and M. canis infections after 19, 25, and 38 days, respectively.

The methanol extract of G. corticata exhibited significant antifungal activity in vitro and in vivo, suggesting that it could be used as an alternative to antidermatophytic therapy in a dose-dependent manner.

Treatment of infections caused by multidrug-resistant bacteria has become a global challenge. The combined therapies involve the simultaneous use of two or more biological agents with different mechanisms of action, which are more effective than traditional treatments for diseases that act only in one way. The aim of this study was synergistic antibacterial activity of synthesized graphene oxide/chitosan (GO/CS) nanocomposite with Rosmarinus officinalis L. essential oil against multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacteria. R. officinalis essential oil was extracted and its chemical compounds were analyzed by gas chromatography and mass spectrometry. The GO/CS nanocomposite was synthesized. The size and structure of the synthesized nanoparticles were evaluated by EDS, XRD, FE-SEM, and FTIR analysis. Antibacterial activity of chitosan, graphene oxide, GO/CS nanocomposite and R. officinalis essential oil was studied by broth microdilution method against 5 MDR isolates of A. baumannii, P. aeruginosa and E. coli. The antimicrobial interaction of the essential oil and GO/CS composite was studied by checkerboard titration method. The results showed that chitosan, graphene oxide and GO/CS had no antimicrobial activity in the studied concentrations. The MIC of R. officinalis essential oil was obtained between 0.12-256 μl/ml. R. officinalis essential oil in combination with GO/CS nanocomposite had a synergistic effect against 5 isolates of P. aeruginosa and 2 isolates of A. baumannii, and caused an additive effect against two isolates of E. coli. Based on the findings of this study, this combination can be effective against some MDR isolates and could be used to treat infections caused by these isolates.

Candidiasis is one of the serious opportunistic fungal infections caused by different species of Candida, especially Candida albicans. The extracellular enzymatic activities are determined as principal factors for pathogenesis of Candida spp. involved in the degradation of proteins and adhesion during biofilm formation. The study was performed on 100 Candida isolates prepared from patients with various forms of Candidiasis, referred to the Laboratory. All isolates were confirmed by phenotypic methods. The evaluation of enzyme activity of (including to proteinase, hemolysin , phospholipase and esterase) different of Candida spp. was done in chromogenic media. In addition, the biofilm formation of all isolates was done by MTT method. Our results indicated the proteinase activity was positive (mean 0.015), hemolysin activity was positive (mean= 0.027), phospholipase activity was positive (mean=0.52) and esteraseactivity waspositive (mean=0.003). The highest and lowest biofilm formation were seen in in C. glabrata with (OD=0.62) and C. tropicalis with (OD=0.46), respectively. The secretion of several enzymes by Candida isolates has been identified for their virulence factors in candidiasis. Our data recommend that biofilm formation is probably to key a role in the pathogenicity of candidiasis, and in patients with immunocompromised, this might be due to the capability of C. albicans to adapt to the changed physiological environment.

Acne is a pathological disorder and a chronic inflammation in the sebaceous follicles, and one of the most popular dermatology damages that has affected millions of people worldwide. The aim of this study was to identify Candida species in patients with acne as well as determine the drug susceptibility of these species.
 
Materials & In this cross-sectional study, 70 clinical specimens were taken from the skin of patients suspected of acne by the sterile swab. Subsequently, the specimens were cultured on Sabouraud Dextrose Agar containing chloramphenicol. The plates were incubated for 48 h at 37˚C. The suspected colonies were investigated through microscopic examination and subsequent passages were evaluated according to standard operating procedures and specification of the type of colony color on CHROMagar for the isolation of the yeast. The sequencing method was utilized (ITS2, ITS4) to approve C.species. In addition, the susceptibility testing was performed to assess drug-resistant isolates C. species based on the clinical and laboratory standards institute method.
In total, 11 C. species were identified and isolated that include 8 C.parapsilosis (72.73%), 1 C.krusei (12.5%), 1 C.lusitaniae (12.5%), 1 C.kefir (12.5%), and a Trichosporon asahi. According to the investigation of C. parapsilosis isolates susceptibility to various concentrations of the anti-fungal agents to isolates Cp1and Cp8,  the isolated Cp5 with MIC 50 was equal to 32,0.5,0.25 and with MIC 90 of <64, <1, <0.5 μg/ml were resistant to fluconazole, itraconazole, and ketoconazole, respectively. Apart from the isolation of Cp1 and Cp8, which had relative resistance, almost all other species of C. parapsilosis isolates were susceptible to these drugs.
 
Discussion & Several studies showed that bacterial agents are involved in causing acne in most cases. According to the results of this study, it can be suggested that the yeast C. species can be introduced as an agent in the etiology of this disease. C. species isolates can also be resistant to antifungal drugs and this could be one of the causes of the treatment failures.

The genus Malassezia consist of lipophilic yeasts are known to be as component of the normal microflora of human skin and many mammals and birds. The purpose of this study was determinate the distribution of Malassezia sp. on the horses skin in the in the north of Iran and identification of them according to horses’ sex ,age,breed and living geographically area. During the 15 month period, sampling was carried out using the scraping methods from different areas of skin; 256horse. A part of samples surveyed microscopically with methylene blue stain methods. All samples were inculcated onto sabouraud glucose agar media supplement with olive oil. The identification to lipid – dependence yeasts was based on the ability to use certain Tweens.The cremophore El assimilation test and splitting of Esculin were used as additional key characters. Other tests such as the catalase reaction and the morphological characteristics on SGA was administered. The prevalence of Malassezia spp. in the studied horses was 33.98%. M.pachydermatis was only isolated in 12 horse whereas lipid-dependent species isolated in 75 horse. The most frequently isolated Malassezia spp. was in groin with24.27%,and the least of it, dorsrum 15.54%.The most frequently isolated species were M. globosa (22.33%) followed by M. fur fur (18.45%) ,M. restricta (11.59%), M.pachydermatis (11.65%) ,M.obtusa (11.65%) , M. sympodialis (11.65%) and M.slooffiae (10.69%). Distribution of Malassezia species in the healthy body have been investigated using culture-based and biochemistry techniques, and variable results have been reported from different geographical regions

Candida albicans as an opportunistic fungal pathogen in human is the cause of volvovaginitis candidiasis. Azole resistance is cinsiderable as worldwide problem in treatment of candidiasis. Azole resistance can occur through different mechanisms such as mutation in ERG11 gene. The aim of our study was evaluation of ERG11 gene mutations in fluconazole resistant islotes of C. albicans obtained from patients with volvovaginitis in west of Mazandaran. In this study, clinical specimens were obtained from vaginal mucosa of 120 individual. C. albicans isolates were identified by standard methods such as germ tubes and culture in chrome agar media. Susceptibility test to fluconazole in the isolates was evaluated by Disc diffusion and MIC methods. After DNA extraction, ERG11 gene mutations in clinical isolates were determined by PCR- sequencing method. From 45 isolates of C. albicans, 40 isolates were resistant to fluconazole. The MIC of fluconazole in isolates was determined between 2 to 64μg/ml. Also, sequencing analysis showed that 7 fluconazole resistant isolates had three missense mutations (D116E, K128T and A114S) in ERG11 gene. It apears that high frequency of floconazol resistance is the results of different reasons such as mutations in ERG11 gene in C. albicans isolates.

Candidiasis is a common fungal infection caused by various Candida species. Theproduction of extracellular enzymes, like proteinase, as a pathogenic factor plays a significant role inyeast adherence andpenetration to the host. Regarding this, the present study was conducted toevaluate the production of proteinase enzyme in cancer patients with oral candidiasis. A total of 20 oral swab specimens were collected from cancerous and noncancerous patients with oral candidiasis referring to the Oncology Center of Ramsar and Tonekabonhospitals, Iran, in 2014-2015. The samples obtained from the cancerous and non-cancerous patientswere assigned into the case and control groups, respectively. These specimens were cultured inSabouraud dextrose agar containing chloramphenicol. The yeast isolates were identified by means ofphenotypic method. The evaluation of proteinase enzyme activity was accomplished on a specificmedium. The diameter of the halo formed around each colony was also measured to determine therate of enzyme production. Out of the 20 samples, 19 (95%) and 6 (30%) Candida species were isolated from the caseand controlgroups, respectively. Candida albicans and Candida glabrata had the prevalence of 16(84%) and 3 (16%), respectively. In the control group, all isolated yeasts were identified as Candidaalbicans. The mean diameter of the halo around the yeast cells producing proteinase enzyme incancer patients with oral candidiasis was 2.21 mm in comparison to the non-cancerous group. Proteinase enzyme production as an important virulence factor leading to oralcandidiasis was significantly higher in the cancer patients than that in the non -cancer ones

: Candida albicans is opportunistic fungal pathogens which are causing several clinical chronic and acute infections, especially among underling, diabetic and immunocompromised patients. Extracellular enzymes including phospholipase, proteinase and hemolysin are important virulence factors to attach and further to attack to host cells. The main aim of this study was to access the extracellular enzymes activities in C. albicans collecting among diabetic and non-diabetic (control) groups.
: In this descriptive survey, 10 C. albicans isolates from diabetic patients and 10 from non-diabetic group were isolated from 97 people (including 64 diabetic patients and 33 controls) using month swabbing and further confirmation tests. Species identification was done by standard germ tube, grown on CHROMagar, microscopic and microscopic characteristics. Phospholipase, proteinase and hemolysin activity was accessed using specific mediums.
In this study, 90%, 80% and 90% of isolates showed phospholipase, proteinase and hemolysin activities in diabetic patients whereas 80%, 60% and 70% of isolates showed these activities in control group, respectively. In total, there was a significant difference in proteinase and hemolysin activities between diabetic and non-diabetic groups.
Finding of this study showed a considerable presence of C. albicans among diabetic patients. According to high level of phospholipase, proteinase and hemolysin activities among C. albicans in diabetic patients, using an appropriate therapy is necessary to prevent further spread of these pathogens in diabetic patients.

Introduction and Aims Because of the day-increasing resistance of the bacteria to antibiotics, further logical viewpoint to the medicinal plants seems to be important. The Ferula gummosa considered as a great medicinal plant in past studies. The aim of this study was investigation of aqueous and alcoholic extracts of roots of F.gummosa Boiss on growth of some bacterial pathogens.
Materials and Methods The extracts were prepared by Soxhlet method and were studied by disc diffusion, well diffusion and tube dillution methods.
Results According to the disc diffusion and the well diffusion methods, no inhibitory zone have seen against investigated bacteria. The ethologic extract showed more inhibitory effect than the methanolic and aquatic extracts. The most sensitive bacterium to methanol extract was Staphylococcus aureus with minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) equal to 6.25×103 and 1.25×104 respectively. The most sensitive bacteria to ethanol extract were Escherichia coli and Shigella dysenteriae with MIC and MBC equal to 6.25×103 and 2.5×104 respectively.
Conclusion Further study is needed about potent antimicrobial activities of F.gummosa Boiss.

More Candida albicans strains are reported resistant to fluconazole in patients with AIDS, cancer and organ recipients. Fluconazole resistance can be attributed to changes in pathways of sterol biosynthesis, mutation in or overexpression of ERG11 and the expression of CDR1, CDR2, and MDR1. This study aimed to compare the expression of CDR1, CDR2, and MDR1 in C. albicans resistant and susceptible to fluconazole. MIC testing for fluconazole was performed on C. albicans isolates isolated from patients with oral and vaginal candidiasis to determine resistant and susceptible strains. Then real time PCR was performed on the resistant and susceptible isolates and the expression of CDR1, CDR2, and MDR1 was compared in C. albicans. Of 46 Candida albicans isolates, 20 susceptible isolates, 12 semi-susceptible isolates and 14 resistant isolates were identified by MIC. After real time PCR was performed, Candida albicans isolates susceptible to fluconazole showed moderate expression of CDR1, CDR2, and MDR1 genes, while resistant isolates showed slight or no expression. Increased expression of CDR1, CDR2, and MDR1 had less and insignificant role in resistance to fluconazole.

Ferula gummosa Boiss. (Barije) is an Iranian indigenous plant that has medical and antifungal properties. The current study was done to determine the effect of aqueous an alcoholic extracts of Ferula gummosa Boiss root on in vitro growth of fungi. In this experimental study, the plant was dried in the dark and aqueous, alcoholic extracts of its root powder were prepared using Soxhlet method. Then, the efficacy of 0.1 dilutions of different quantities of the extracts on strains of Candida albicans (PTCC 5027), Trichophyton rubrum (PTCC5143), and Aspergillus fumigatus (PTCC 5009) were evaluated employing Disk diffusion, Agar-well diffusion, Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC), and Minimum Fungicidal Concentration (MFC) methods. No inhibited effect was observed in Disk diffusion and Agar-well diffusion methods. MIC and MFC values of all extracts for Aspergillus fumigatus and Trichophyton rubrum were more than 5×104mg/ml. The MIC values of ethanol and methanol extract for Candida albicans were 3.12×103 and 1.25×104mg/ml, respectively but the MFC values were 1.25×104 and 2.5×104mg/ml, respectively. Methanol and ethanol extracts proved to have antifungal activity against Candida albicans yeast in vitro while the fungi of Aspergillus fumigatus and Trichophyton rubrum had no sensitivity to these types of extracts.

Green and Blue molds are the major postharvest disease of citrus fruit that caused by Penicillium digitatum and p.italicum those responsible for about 30% of losses in citrus crop per year. In common methods, these wound pathogens have been controlled by using synthetic fungicides such as Imazalil, benomil or thiabendazole. Concerns about their impact on human health and the environment and the rise of fungicide-resistant biotypes, biological control proposed as a suitable replace. In this research, for biological control on these pathogens, epiphytic microorganism isolated from fruit surfaces that collected from the citrus orchards in the North of Iran. Initial evaluation for Biological Control potential by these microorganism were done based on pathogen inhibition zone in laboratory conditions. 65 isolates of yeast and bacteria and 30 isolates of mold show potential for Biological Control on these molds. In next stage, fruit were wounded to a 2 mm depth of four equidistant points and microbial treatment were inoculated to each point bacterial and yeast suspension of 1×108 cell/ml concentration 24 h before pathogen spore inoculation (1×104 spore/ml) and in hold 15 c for one week. Results of microbial treatment compared with control based on appearance and severity of incidence. Biochemical test for identification of Biological Control isolates showed 3 isolates of Pseudomonas syringae, 2 isolates of Pantoea agglomerans and 1 isolates of Candida famata. Inhibitory mechanism of Biological Control showed evidence in production of volatile compounds and extracellular metabolites from P. syringae and extracellular metabolites from C. famata those have antifungal effect on P. digitatum and P. italicum.

Infectious bursal disease virus (IBDV) is the causative agent of Gumboro disease, an infectious disease of global economic importance in poultry. Structural protein VP2 of IBDV is the most frequently studied protein due to its significant roles in virus attachment, protective immunity, and serotype specificity. The objective of the present study was to improve the expression of hypervariable region of VP2 protein (hvVP2) in Escherichia coli (E.coli). The results showed that the hvVP2 was expressed in very low amount in E.coli. But, codon optimized hvVP2 protein showed significantly enhanced protein expression level. The coding sequence of hvVP2 was amplified and then identified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and sequencing. To achieve high-level expression of hvVP2 protein, we optimized hvVP2 gene base on E. coli preferred codons and synthesized the optimized gene. The synthetical gene was cloned into expression vector pET-26b and expressed in E. coli BL21 (DE3). After induction with Isopropyl-D-1-Thiogalactopyranoside (IPTG) and optimization the conditions of expression, the hvVP2 protein was relatively increased and identified by SDS-PAGE and Western blotting. Productive conformation can now be used for structure-based design purposes as well as structure-function relation of VP1 protein. It is suggested that the codon optimized hvVP2-His protein may be a useful option (but it is not enough) for developing diagnostic tests and immunization proposes.

Candida is a member of normal flora of human skin and mucosa which cause a wide range of skin infections as cutaneous candidiasis. Considering the pathogenesis of acne, predisposing factors and microbial agents which involve in acne, and the pathogenicity of Candida in causing skin diseases, this study evaluated the prevalence of Candida in skin and acne lesions of patients to analyze its probable role in acne. A total number of 125 patients (70 females and 55 males) enrolled in this study. The samples were collected from inside and surface of acne lesions. Direct microscopic examination was performed with 20% potassium hydroxide (KOH) + calcofluor white (CFW). The collected samples were also cultured on Sabouraud's dextrose agar with chloramphenicol (SC). The isolated species were identified by morphologic and physiologic methods such as culture on chrome agar Candida media, germ tube test, chlamydospore forming test on cornmeal agar media, growth in 45˚c, and sugar assimilation test with HiCandida identification kit (HiMedia, Mumbai, India). Among all collected samples from inside of acne lesions, 45.6% were positive for yeast cells in direct microscopic examination. Moreover, 45 samples (36.0%), 11 cases (24.4%) from inside of acne lesions and 34 cases (75.6%) from skin surface, were positive for Candida colony growth in culture. Candida parapsilosis and Candida krusei were the most frequent isolated species from inside of acne lesions and skin surface, respectively. In 5 cases (11.1%), Candida was simultaneously found in both inside of acne lesions and skin surface samples. According to the results of our study, Candida is a normal flora of skin which can be considered in the etiology of acne. We also recommend further studies with a larger sample size and specific aims in the future.

Identification of the determatophytosis species and superficial mycosis agents may be useful in directing the survey for environmental and animal sources of infection to educate the danger of acquiring infections from infected persons and other animals. Based on this background the identification of cutaneous mycosis distribution was the main purpose. From March 2005 to Feb 2009 we examined 5500 patients suspected to superficial and cutaneous mycosis referred to medical mycology labs in Tehran, Iran for Medical Mycology examination. Skin, hair and nail sampling were taken by scraping from patients and collected for diagnosis. Diagnosis was confirmed by direct microscopy and culture according to the