Journal of Tropical Medicine
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Acceptance rate16%
Submission to final decision98 days
Acceptance to publication11 days
CiteScore3.300
Journal Citation Indicator0.610
Impact Factor2.2

MicroRNA-1 Inhibits the Growth of Breast Cancer Cells MDA-MB-231 and MCF-7 Treated with Hydatid Cyst Fluid

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Journal of Tropical Medicine publishes articles on all aspects of tropical diseases. Topics include pathology, diagnosis and treatment, parasites and their hosts, epidemiology, and public health issues.

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Journal of Tropical Medicine maintains an Editorial Board of practicing researchers from around the world, to ensure manuscripts are handled by editors who are experts in the field of study.

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Research Article

Antibacterial and Antioxidant Efficacies of Secondary Metabolites from the Roots of Cyphostemma adenocaule: A Combined In Vitro and In Silico Study

Cyphostemma adenocaule is a therapeutic plant traditionally used to treat rabies, snake bite, diarrhea, and wound healing. To address the bioactive compounds exhibiting these activities, we performed a comprehensive study on the roots of the plant. Thus, the present study aims to inspect the in vitro antioxidant and antibacterial efficacies of compounds isolated from the combined dichloromethane : methanol (1 : 1) and methanol extracts of C. adenocaule along with the in silico study of their interaction with selected protein targets. The silica gel column chromatography technique was used for the isolation of compounds, and the antibacterial and antioxidant activities were evaluated using agar disc diffusion and DPPH radical scavenging assays, respectively. Furthermore, in silico molecular docking screening, pharmacokinetics, and toxicity protocols of the compound isolates were performed to offer the potential applications of the compounds in developing novel medications. A BIOVIA Discovery Studio in combination with AutoDock Vina 4.2 software, SwissADME, and ProTox-II prediction web tools were used to generate the molecular docking, pharmacokinetics, and toxicity profiles, respectively. Notably, the chromatographic separation of the combined extracts yielded six known compounds, namely, β-sitosterol (1), 3-hydroxyisoagatholactone (2), ε-viniferin (3), myricetin (4), tricuspidatol A (5), and parthenocissin A (6). The in vitro antibacterial activities revealed the highest inhibition zone by tricuspidatol A (5) (16.67 ± 0.47), showcasing its potent activity against S. aureus at 2 mg/mL, compared to ciprofloxacin (21.50 ± 0.41). ε-Viniferin (3) (IC50: 0.32 μg/mL) exhibited greater antioxidant activity than the others and displayed promising results compared to ascorbic acid (0.075 μg/mL). The molecular docking study revealed the highest binding affinity by ε-viniferin (3) (−9.9 kcal/mol) against topoisomerase II α. 3-Hydroxyisoagatholactone (2) and ε-viniferin (3) fulfilled Lipinski’s rule with no violation, and the organ toxicity predictions revealed that all the compounds showed no cytotoxicity and hepatotoxicity effects. Thus, this study’s combined in vitro and in silico outcomes suggest the potential use of the isolated compounds in drug discovery and support the traditional relevance of C. adenocaule.

Review Article

The Malaria Burden: A South African Perspective

Malaria is a deadly disease caused by protozoan pathogens of the Plasmodium parasite. Transmission to humans occurs through the bite of an infected female Anopheles mosquito. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), an estimated 247 million cases of malaria were recorded worldwide in 2021, with approximately 619 000 malaria deaths. The initial signs of malaria can be mild and challenging to diagnose due to the signs and symptoms being similar to those of other illnesses. The malaria burden remains largely concentrated in the WHO sub-Saharan African region and has been recognised as a significant contributor to morbidity and mortality. This review aims to contribute to the existing knowledge on malaria in South Africa, a region within sub-Saharan Africa, focusing on the epidemiology and life cycle of the malaria parasite as well as diagnostic approaches for detecting malaria. In addition, nonpharmacological and pharmacological interventions for treating and preventing malaria infections will also be discussed herein. While there has been a significant reduction in the global burden of this disease, malaria remains a public health issue in South Africa. As such, the implementation of effective preventative measures and strategies, early diagnosis, and appropriate treatment regimens are crucial to reducing the malaria burden in South Africa.

Review Article

Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Congenital Toxoplasmosis Diagnosis: Advances and Challenges

Objective. To understand how congenital toxoplasmosis (CT) diagnosis has evolved over the years, we performed a systematic review and meta-analysis to summarize the kind of analysis that has been employed for CT diagnosis. Methods. PubMed and Lilacs databases were used in order to access the kind of analysis that has been employed for CT diagnosis in several samples. Our search combined the following combining terms: “congenital toxoplasmosis” or “gestational toxoplasmosis” and “diagnosis” and “blood,” “serum,” “amniotic fluid,” “placenta,” or “colostrum.” We extracted data on true positive, true negative, false positive, and false negative to generate pooled sensitivity, specificity, and diagnostic odds ratio (DOR). Random-effects models using MetaDTA were used for analysis. Results. Sixty-five articles were included in the study aiming for comparisons (75.4%), diagnosis performance (52.3%), diagnosis improvement (32.3%), or to distinguish acute/chronic infection phases (36.9%). Amniotic fluid (AF) and placenta were used in 36.9% and 10.8% of articles, respectively, targeting parasites and/or T. gondii DNA. Blood was used in 86% of articles for enzymatic assays. Colostrum was used in one article to search for antibodies. In meta-analysis, PCR in AF showed the best performance for CT diagnosis based on the highest summary sensitivity (85.1%) and specificity (99.7%) added to lower magnitude heterogeneity. Conclusion. Most of the assays being researched to diagnose CT are basically the same traditional approaches available for clinical purposes. The range in diagnostic performance and the challenges imposed by CT diagnosis indicate the need to better explore pregnancy samples in search of new possibilities for diagnostic tools. Exploring immunological markers and using bioinformatics tools and T. gondii recombinant antigens should address the research needed for a new generation of diagnostic tools to face these challenges.

Research Article

Unraveling Dengue Dynamics: In-Depth Epidemiological and Entomological Analyses in Bengaluru, India

In view of the increased number of detected dengue cases in Bengaluru, a request for situation analysis was received from local health authorities in the selected area. The study included epidemiological and entomological assessments to understand the same. The immature forms collected were allowed to emerge, pooled, and processed for vector incrimination. In the surveyed population (347), 20 (5.8%) reported fever cases and 12 (3.5%) were confirmed as dengue cases among the 102 families. Stegomyia indices were high. Vector incrimination studies revealed pools positive for the presence of dengue virus in flower pots, fridge trays, plastic barrels, and rubber tires habitats. This study highlights the increased risk of dengue fever incidence in communities wherepoor intra and peri-domestic sanitation practices are prevailing and recommendsregular entomological surveillance of denguevirus in its vector population..

Research Article

Breeding Habitat Preference of the Dengue Vector Mosquitoes Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus from Urban, Semiurban, and Rural Areas in Kurunegala District, Sri Lanka

Elimination of vector mosquito larvae and their breeding environments is an effective strategy in dengue disease control. Present study examined larval density and water quality in breeding habitats and container preference of dengue vectors Ae. aegypti and Ae. albopictus. Larval surveys were conducted monthly in urban, semiurban, and rural sites in Kurunegala, Sri Lanka, from January 2019 to December 2021. Larval densities were recorded under the following three categories: type of container (16 types), type of material (6 types), and location (indoor/outdoor). Breeding preference ratios (BPRs) were calculated using Index of Available Containers and the Index of Contribution to Breeding Sites. Out of 19,234 wet containers examined, larval stages were found in 1,043 habitats. Ae. albopictus larvae were in all three areas whereas Ae. aegypti larvae were restricted to urban areas. Highest number of wet containers and highest positivity were reported from urban followed by semiurban. In general, discarded nondegradable items were the most frequent and mostly positive breeding sites. For Ae. aegypti, the most preferred breeding sites were gutters and concrete slabs. Ae. albopictus mostly preferred concrete slabs in urban areas and tyres in semiurban and rural areas. Material types such as rubber and concrete were mostly preferred by Ae. aegypti whereas ceramic was preferred by Ae. albopictus. Although plastic was the most available material type in all study sites, preference to plastic was low except for urban Ae. albopictus. Both species preferred urban indoor breeding habitats although outdoor breeding was preferred by Ae. albopictus in rural areas. Larval densities of Ae. aegypti and semiurban Ae. albopictus significantly correlated with the BPR of the container type and material type. Dengue vector larvae were found in a 6.7–9.4 pH range. Total dissolved solids and alkalinity positively correlated with preference. Information generated can be successfully used in waste management and public education for effective vector control.

Research Article

Assessment of Factories on Adherence to COVID-19 Standard Operating Procedures: A Case Study of Wakiso, Mukono, Buikwe, and Jinja Districts, Uganda

Background. Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is an infectious disease caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Uganda confirmed the first case of COVID-19 on 21st March, 2020, which led to the first total lockdown in the country. During the lockdown, some factories remained operational; hence, there is a need for a study aimed at assessing the level of adherence to COVID-19 standard operating procedures (SOPs) in factories as a mitigator for the pandemic. Methods. A cross-sectional study to assess compliance of factories to COVID-19 SOPs was conducted in Wakiso, Mukono, Buikwe, and Jinja districts during the month of September, 2021. This involved visitation of factories and collection of data using the KoboCollect tool by interviewing general managers as well as human resource managers of the factories. A total of 39 factories were included in the study and were categorized into four major groups; food and beverages (15), plastics (5), construction (8), and others (11). Data analysis was done using STATA version 14.2. Results. Overall adherence to COVID-19 SOPs by the factories was 64.1% (95% CI = 49.1–79.1). Communication and training of employees (79.5%; 95% CI = 66.8–92.2), wearing personal protective equipment (PPE), and respiratory protection (79.5%; 95% CI = 66.8–92.2) as well as enhanced cleaning and disinfection of surfaces (74.4%; 95% CI = 60.6–88.1) were the most implemented SOPs in the factories. Implementation of the SOPs was the highest in Mukono district (88.9%; 95% CI = 68.4–100) and the least in Wakiso district (40.0%; 95% CI = 9.6–70.4). The COVID-19 SOPs were followed mostly in construction material factories (87.5%; 95% CI = 64.6–100) and least in food and beverage factories (40%; 95% CI = 15.2–64.8). There was no significant difference in the adherence of COVID-19 SOPs among the districts ( = 5.02 and ) and factories ( = 7.04 and ). Although good overall adherence to SOPs noted was not dependent on location and type of factory, adherence to some SOPs such as exposure control plan, presence of signages on COVID-19, maintenance of social distance, and implementation of a health control plan varied with location of the district. Likewise, exposure control plan, signages on COVID-19, and maintenance of social distance varied significantly with the type of factory. Conclusion. This study revealed moderately good overall adherence to COVID-19 SOPs by factories, with variations in the level of implementation of individual SOPs being observed.

Journal of Tropical Medicine
 Journal metrics
See full report
Acceptance rate16%
Submission to final decision98 days
Acceptance to publication11 days
CiteScore3.300
Journal Citation Indicator0.610
Impact Factor2.2
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