The tropomyosin fraction of shrimp proteins is potentially responsible for allergic reaction in individuals with genetic predisposition to allergy. However, there are no efficient and safe methods to reduce its allergenicity. High intensity ultrasound is known to change the structure of proteins. This study is aimed at assessing high intensity ultrasound's effect on the allergenicity of shrimp allergen. Shrimp and purified shrimp allergen were treated with high intensity ultrasound for 30-180 min. Extracts of treated samples were analyzed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) with pool serum of shrimp allergy patients and polyclonal anti-allergen antibodies and by immunoblotting after polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Shrimp treated with high intensity ultrasound showed a decrease in allergenicity measured with ELISA. A linear relationship between the immune response induced by treated shrimp allergen and the applied treatment time was observed. The decrease in allergenicity was confirmed by immunoblot assays with shrimp allergic patients serum. Allergenicity of shrimp allergen extracted from treated shrimp was higher than that of purified shrimp allergen with the same treatment time. Gel-filtration HPLC was applied for analysis of shrimp allergen after treatment with high intensity ultrasound. Some fractions were appeared with increasing treatment time. The results suggested that high intensity ultrasound could be used to reduce the allergenicity of shrimp.
Adolescent ; Allergens ; Animals ; Arthropod Proteins ; Blotting, Western ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Food Hypersensitivity ; immunology ; prevention & control ; Humans ; Penaeidae ; immunology ; Proteins ; chemistry ; immunology ; Ultrasonography ; methods

Objective: To investigate the neuroprotective efficacy of pomegranate and ellagic acid on the histopathological changes in the hippocampus of an aluminium chloride (AlCl3) induced rat model of Alzheimer's disease. Methods: Sprague Dawley rats were divided into 4 groups (n=10 each): Group I : serving as negative control; Group II, Alzheimer model, induced by administration of 17 mg/kg bw AlCl3; Group III, administered the same dose of AlCl3 with 50 mg/kg of pomegranate peel extract and Group IV : administered ellagic acid (50 mg/kg) in addition to the same dose of AlCl3. The medication given to all groups continued for 28 days. All were given the compounds by gastric gavage. Radial arm maze test, hippocampus antioxidant markers, histopathology of the dentate gyrus, and CA3 of the hippocampus were evaluated. Results: Rats treated with pomegranate peel extract exposed to radial arm maze test showed less number of errors and reduced time needed to reach the criterion. There was an increase in the levels of glutathione, catalase, and total antioxidant capacity and decreased lipid peroxidation products. Histopathological features in dentate gyrus and CA3 as apoptosis and chromatolysis of pyramidal cells and granular layer, respectively, were decreased. Alzheimer characteristic neurofibrillary tangles and senile plaques were reduced. Treatment with ellagic acid ameliorated the pathological results but to a statistically lower level. Conclusions: Pomegranate peel extract alleviates memory deficit and restores antioxidant homeostasis following degenerative changes in the hippocampus induced by aluminium chloride in rats..

Introduction: Uncontrolled empirical treatment of urinary tract infections (UTIs) has negative aspect on predicting the emergence of antimicrobial resistance and knowledge of those patterns has become extremely important from time to time. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to check the prevalence and resistance patterns of uropathogens in the community acquired UTIs. Methods: A total of 7132 urine samples were combined from male 3131 (43.9%) and female 4001 (56.1%) outpatients suspected of having UTIs, respectively over a three-year period and cultured on routine culture media. The bacteria have been identified using basic biochemical tests, and sensitivity to various antibiotics was determined by the method of disk diffusion. Results: Of 7132 urine samples 797 (11.2%) yielded significant uropathogens. Among the bacterial species, Escherichia coli was the major causative agent of UTIs for both gender (63.7%), followed by Klebsiella spp (20.8%), Enterococcus faecalis (5.3%), Pseudomonas spp (4.1%), Proteus spp (3.1%), Enterobacter spp (1.5%), Candida albicans (0.6%), Staphylococcus saprophyticus (0.5%), Providencia spp (0.1%) and Staphylococcus aureus (0.1%). The antibacterial sensitivity testing for E. coli, to commonly used antibiotics were showed variable resistant as follows: Ampicilln (78%), Amoxicillin (71%), trimethoprim sulfamethoxazole (42%), Amox/clav. (14%) gentamicin (20%), nitrofurantoin (11%), nalidixic acid (22%), ciprofloxacin (20%), Imipenem (16%),Ceftazidim (26%),Cefotaxim (25%),Ceftriaxon (21%),Cefuroxim (33%). Conclusions: The findings showed that antimicrobial resistance patterns of uropathogens in variable, and continuous monitoring of resistance patterns by using of antibiotic susceptibility testing in the laboratory is the most appropriate to treat UTIs rather than the choice of UTIs empirical treatment.