جستجوی مقالات مرتبط با کلیدواژه « galleria mellonella » در نشریات گروه « پزشکی »

Today, polyethylene plastics have become a big problem of environmental health, i.e. excessive production of waste, and it has endangered the environment. But insects have come to the aid of the environment, and in the meantime, the large wax-eating moth (Galleria mellonella) is able to digest polyethylene plastic, polyester, aluminum foil, and even fabric masks with the help of the microbiome of its larva's stomach. This study was also designed to investigate the ability of G. mellonella larvae to remove polyethylene plastic .

First, G. melonella larvae were collected from Gonabad honey apiaries in June 2022. The larvae were reared in the Gonabad University of Medical Sciences medical entomology laboratory with beeswax and synthetic food in plastic boxes and dark rooms (temperature 25±2 oC and humidity 33%). To feed the larvae, pieces of plastic film were cut into diameters (10×10 cm) from the freezer, garbage, and shopping bag (so-called with handles) and placed on ten Petri dishes with a diameter of (8×8 cm) containing ten larvae. Another petri dish (with a hole for larvae to breathe) was placed on the polyethylene films. The produced biomass of larvae related to each type of plastic was analyzed separately with Fourier transform infrared spectrometry (FT-IR).

Analysis of 8 types of biomass produced by larvae feeding from wax (control) compared to polyethylene plastics (target item) with FT-IRIt revealed functional groups C-CL, C=O, C=C, R-OH, CH2, -C-C-, which is a sign of polyethylene plastic degradation. Also, the comparison of the amount of plastic removal among the larvae fed on different types of polyethylene film revealed a significant difference (P<0.05).

G. melonella larvae as a biological method can be effective in removing plastic from nature in the future.

Although, Rhizopus species, are the main causative agents of mucormycosis, we know a little about these pathogens. We investigated the virulence potential of Rhizopus arrhizus and R. microsporus strains, obtained from a wide selection of clinical and environmental sources, in Galleria mellonella larvae and a mice model.

In this experiment, a total of 26 strains, 13 for each species of R. microsporus, R. arrhizus were tested in larvae with final concentration of 106/ml per strain. Eight strains were tested in mice model. Inoculated samples were monitored in insect larvae for 6 days and in mice for 14 days. Statistical data were performed using Graphpad Prism software (GraphPad Software, San Diego, CA). Survival data of the samples were plotted using Kaplen-Meyer diagrams and analyzed using log rank test P value was considered 0.05%.

R. arrhizus showed higher virulence compare to R. microsporus in both models. No specific difference was seen in pathogenicity between the two varieties of R. arrhizus. Virulence was not affected by source of isolation or production of toxin in some strains of R. microsporus. Virulence pattern was similar in both models.

Considering the mortality rate which was happened with strains from environmental sources, we conclude that these fungi have an opportunistic nature, which make them pathogen in susceptible hosts in favorite conditions. Larvae model showed reliable results compare to mice model.