To study the sand fly fauna, surveys were performed atfour different leishmaniasis-endemic areas of Ecuador, during February 2013 andApril 2014. The conventional Shannon trap was modified and simplified to anewly named mini-Shannon trap for its multiple uses at different study sites,such as limited, forested and narrow spaces. The mini-Shannon, CDC light trapsand the protected human landing method were employed for sand fly collection.The species identification of sand flies was performed mainly based on themorphology of spermathecae and cibarium, after dissection of freshsamples.  In this study, therefore, onlyfemale samples were used for analysis. A total of1,480 female sand flies belonging to 25 Lutzomyia species were collected. Numbers of the female sand fliescollected by each trap were 417 (28.2%) by the mini-Shannon trap, 259 (17.5%)by CDC light trap and 804 (54.3%) by human landing. The total number of sand flies per trap collected bydifferent methods was markedly affected by study sites, probably because ofdifferent species compositions at each locality. Further, as an additionalstudy, the attractiveness of sand flies against the mini-Shannon traps poweredwith LED White-light and LED Black-light, waspreliminary tested, together with CDC light trap and human landing. In the test,a total of 426 sand flies of nine Lutzomyia species, seven man-biting and two non-man-biting species, were collected by threecapture trials during May and June 2014 in an area endemic for leishmaniasis(La Ventura). The Black-light equipped trap was relatively superior in capturenumbers to the White-light equipped one, but no significant difference wasobserved statistically between the two traps.

To study the sand fly fauna, surveys were performed at four different leishmaniasis-endemic sites in Ecuador from February 2013 to April 2014. A modified and simplified version of the conventional Shannon trap was named “mini-Shannon trap” and put to multiple uses at the different study sites in limited, forested and narrow spaces. The mini-Shannon, CDC light trap and protected human landing method were employed for sand fly collection. The species identification of sand flies was performed mainly based on the morphology of spermathecae and cibarium, after dissection of fresh samples. In this study, therefore, only female samples were used for analysis. A total of 1,480 female sand flies belonging to 25 Lutzomyia species were collected. The number of female sand flies collected was 417 (28.2%) using the mini-Shannon trap, 259 (17.5%) using the CDC light trap and 804 (54.3%) by human landing. The total number of sand flies per trap collected by the different methods was markedly affected by the study site, probably because of the various composition of species at each locality. Furthermore, as an additional study, the attraction of sand flies to mini-Shannon traps powered with LED white-light and LED black-light was investigated preliminarily, together with the CDC light trap and human landing. As a result, a total of 426 sand flies of nine Lutzomyia species, including seven man-biting and two non-biting species, were collected during three capture trials in May and June 2014 in an area endemic for leishmaniasis (La Ventura). The black-light proved relatively superior to the white-light with regard to capture numbers, but no significant statistical difference was observed between the two traps.

Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) is a significant global health issue, affecting over 30% of the population worldwide due to the rising prevalence of metabolic risk factors such as obesity and type 2 diabetes mellitus. This spectrum of liver disease ranges from isolated steatosis to more severe forms such as steatohepatitis, fibrosis, and cirrhosis. Recent studies highlight the role of gut microbiota in MASLD pathogenesis, showing that dysbiosis significantly impacts metabolic health and the progression of liver disease. This review critically evaluates current microbiome-centered therapies in MASLD management, including prebiotics, probiotics, synbiotics, fecal microbiota transplantation, and emerging therapies such as engineered bacteria and bacteriophage therapy. We explore the scientific rationale, clinical evidence, and potential mechanisms by which these interventions influence MASLD. The gut-liver axis is crucial in MASLD, with notable changes in microbiome composition linked to disease progression. For instance, specific microbial profiles and reduced alpha diversity are associated with MASLD severity. Therapeutic strategies targeting the microbiome could modulate disease progression by improving gut permeability, reducing endotoxin-producing bacteria, and altering bile acid metabolism. Although promising, these therapies require further research to fully understand their mechanisms and optimize their efficacy. This review integrates findings from clinical trials and experimental studies, providing a comprehensive overview of microbiome-centered therapies’ potential in managing MASLD. Future research should focus on personalized strategies, utilizing microbiome features, blood metabolites, and customized dietary interventions to enhance the effectiveness of these therapies.

Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) is a significant global health issue, affecting over 30% of the population worldwide due to the rising prevalence of metabolic risk factors such as obesity and type 2 diabetes mellitus. This spectrum of liver disease ranges from isolated steatosis to more severe forms such as steatohepatitis, fibrosis, and cirrhosis. Recent studies highlight the role of gut microbiota in MASLD pathogenesis, showing that dysbiosis significantly impacts metabolic health and the progression of liver disease. This review critically evaluates current microbiome-centered therapies in MASLD management, including prebiotics, probiotics, synbiotics, fecal microbiota transplantation, and emerging therapies such as engineered bacteria and bacteriophage therapy. We explore the scientific rationale, clinical evidence, and potential mechanisms by which these interventions influence MASLD. The gut-liver axis is crucial in MASLD, with notable changes in microbiome composition linked to disease progression. For instance, specific microbial profiles and reduced alpha diversity are associated with MASLD severity. Therapeutic strategies targeting the microbiome could modulate disease progression by improving gut permeability, reducing endotoxin-producing bacteria, and altering bile acid metabolism. Although promising, these therapies require further research to fully understand their mechanisms and optimize their efficacy. This review integrates findings from clinical trials and experimental studies, providing a comprehensive overview of microbiome-centered therapies’ potential in managing MASLD. Future research should focus on personalized strategies, utilizing microbiome features, blood metabolites, and customized dietary interventions to enhance the effectiveness of these therapies.

Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) is a significant global health issue, affecting over 30% of the population worldwide due to the rising prevalence of metabolic risk factors such as obesity and type 2 diabetes mellitus. This spectrum of liver disease ranges from isolated steatosis to more severe forms such as steatohepatitis, fibrosis, and cirrhosis. Recent studies highlight the role of gut microbiota in MASLD pathogenesis, showing that dysbiosis significantly impacts metabolic health and the progression of liver disease. This review critically evaluates current microbiome-centered therapies in MASLD management, including prebiotics, probiotics, synbiotics, fecal microbiota transplantation, and emerging therapies such as engineered bacteria and bacteriophage therapy. We explore the scientific rationale, clinical evidence, and potential mechanisms by which these interventions influence MASLD. The gut-liver axis is crucial in MASLD, with notable changes in microbiome composition linked to disease progression. For instance, specific microbial profiles and reduced alpha diversity are associated with MASLD severity. Therapeutic strategies targeting the microbiome could modulate disease progression by improving gut permeability, reducing endotoxin-producing bacteria, and altering bile acid metabolism. Although promising, these therapies require further research to fully understand their mechanisms and optimize their efficacy. This review integrates findings from clinical trials and experimental studies, providing a comprehensive overview of microbiome-centered therapies’ potential in managing MASLD. Future research should focus on personalized strategies, utilizing microbiome features, blood metabolites, and customized dietary interventions to enhance the effectiveness of these therapies.