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Evaluation of antifungal activity of hemolymph of American cockroaches against three human invasive fungal species: Aspergillus niger, Candida albicans and Penicillium oxalicum

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Abstract

This study aimed to investigate antifungal activity of hemolymph of American cockroaches (Periplaneta americana) against three human invasive fungal species, including Aspergillus niger, Candida albicans, and Penicillium oxalicum. To stimulate the immunity of cockroaches, the strains of fungal species were injected into the coelom of cockroaches. The amphotericin B, non-induced and induced hemolymphs of cockroaches, and phosphate buffer were added to the cultured plates of fungal species strains. Phosphate buffer was used as negative control. Formation of the inhibitory zone represents the antifungal activity of hemolymph of P. americana cockroaches in the cultured plates of fungal species. Diameter of inhibitory zone of the growth of each fungal strain was measured by a calliper. Phosphate buffer does not have to inhibit the ability of growth of fungal species. The non-induced hemolymph of cockroaches exhibits a very low antifungal activity against the growth of fungal species. The induced hemolymph of cockroaches inhibits the growth of fungal species approximately as strong as amphotericin B. The impact of the induced hemolymph of cockroaches as inhibition of the growth of fungal species were: Penicillium oxalicum > Candida albicans > Aspergillus niger. This study indicates that with stimulation of the immunity of P. americana cockroaches using the strains of A. niger, C. albicans, and P. oxalicum, it is possible to acquire the antifungal activity by induced hemolymph of cockroaches approximately as the strong of amphotericin B.

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Acknowledgements

This study forms part of Marjan Seifi-Kar’s MSc thesis in Medical Entomology and Vector Control in the Department of Medical Entomology, School of Medicine, which was supported financially by the Research Deputy of Hamadan University of Medical Sciences (Grant no. 9406313522).

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  1. Department of Medical Entomology, School of Medicine, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan, Iran

    Amirhossein Zahirnia & Marjan Seifi-Kar

  2. Department of Medical Entomology and Vector Control, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

    Hassan Nasirian

  3. Institute for Environmental Research (IER), Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

    Hassan Nasirian

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  1. Amirhossein Zahirnia
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Zahirnia, A., Seifi-Kar, M. & Nasirian, H. Evaluation of antifungal activity of hemolymph of American cockroaches against three human invasive fungal species: Aspergillus niger, Candida albicans and Penicillium oxalicum. Int J Trop Insect Sci 43, 1485–1495 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s42690-023-01056-w

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