Milat Hussein Mustafa

M.S.

MEDICAL BIOLOGY

College of Medicine

B.S

Medical Laboratory

College of Health Sciences

Assistant Lecturer

Dietary Lactobacillus plantarum and Bacillus subtilis Modulate the Gut Microbiome, Antimicrobial Resistance, Immune Responses, and Digestive Function in Cyprinus carpio

This study investigates the effects of dietary supplementation with Lactobacillus plantarum, Bacillus subtilis, and their combination on the gut microbiome, antimicrobial resistance (AMR), innate immune responses, and enzyme activities in Cyprinus carpio. Juvenile fish weighing 25.3 ± 0.8g were distributed into four groups: control, L. plantarum, B. subtilis, and a combined probiotic treatment, and fed for eight weeks. Probiotic supplementation significantly increased total bacterial counts, with the highest level found in the combined group (11.3 × 10⁶ ± 0.4 × 10⁶ CFU/g) compared to the control (8.5 × 10⁶ ± 0.2 × 10⁶ CFU/g). Lactic acid bacteria abundance reached 4.5 × 10⁶ ± 0.3 × 10⁶ CFU/g in the L. plantarum group, whereas B. subtilis counts were significantly elevated across all probiotic treatments (up to 2.7 × 10⁵ ± 0.1 × 10⁵ CFU/g) relative to control (1.3 × 10⁵ ± 0.4 × 10⁵ CFU/g). Enterobacteriaceae levels declined from 2.3 × 10⁵ ± 0.4 × 10⁵ CFU/g in controls to 1.3 × 10⁵ ± 0.6 × 10⁵ CFU/g in the combined group. Shannon diversity indices were higher in the B. subtilis and combined groups. AMR analysis showed a marked decrease in resistant isolates and multiple antibiotic resistance indices, with the lowest value observed in the combined group compared with the control. Probiotic-fed fish exhibited enhanced innate immune parameters, including lysozyme (44 ± 0.6 U/mL; P= 0.006), respiratory burst (0.29 ± 0.04 OD₆₀₀; P=0.008), complement activity (41 ± 0.3%), and phagocytosis (56 ± 0.4%; P=0.005). Digestive enzyme activities such as amylase (21 ± 0.4 U/mL; P=0.006), protease (20 ± 0.2 U/mL; P = 0.007), and lipase (16 ± 0.3 U/mL; P=0.005) were significantly increased in probiotic groups. Overall, dietary probiotics positively modulated gut microbiota, reduced AMR, and enhanced immune and digestive functions in common carp, with the combined supplementation showing the greatest benefits.

Growth, Antioxidant Defense, and Immune Response in Labeo rohita Fingerlings with the Dietary Vitamin C Supplementation

The study was designed to investigate the vitamin C supplementation effect on growth, oxidative stress, and immune response of Labeo rohita. Four diets 0, 200, 400, and 800 mg/kg was designed, 480 fingerlings with the initial weight 6.11 ± 0.08 g in triplicate groups were randomly distributed into 12 fiberglass tanks for 60 days. Growth results showed that final weight (13.87 ± 0.23–19.83 ± 0.34 g), weight gain (152.6 ± 2.7–251.1 ± 3.5%), and specific growth rate (1.91 ± 0.06–2.52 ± 0.03%/day) increased significantly (p < 0.05) with increasing dietary vitamin C levels, while feed conversion ratio (1.81 ± 0.04–1.29 ± 0.04) decreased (p = 0.006), indicating improved feed utilization. Survival rates were 91.1 ± 2.4% in the control, whereas they reached 98.4 ± 1.4% in the 800 mg/kg group. Antioxidant enzyme showed a significant (p < 0.01) enhancement. Superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) activities increased from 25.6 ± 1.3 to 36.1 ± 1.3 U/mg protein and 12.4 ± 0.7 to 20.1 ± 0.5 U/mg protein. The malondialdehyde (MDA) levels reduced significantly (p = 0.005), while glutathione (GSH) concentration increased significantly (p = 0.007) from 3.10 ± 0.13 to 4.41 ± 0.13 µmol/g tissue. Immune response parameters were also positively affected by dietary vitamin C. Lysozyme activity increased significantly (p = 0.008) from 15.4 ± 0.3 to 23.4 ± 0.6 U/mL, respiratory burst activity improved from 0.178 ± 0.006 to 0.261 ± 0.006 OD₆₃₀ nm, and phagocytic activity rose from 28.3 ± 1.4 to 41.4 ± 1.4%. Similarly, nitric oxide production increased from 4.13 ± 0.28 to 6.86 ± 0.26 µmol/L. Total protein, albumin, and globulin were also significantly raised (p < 0.05). The study concluded that dietary vitamin C can be used to increase growth, support antioxidant defense, and improve immune responses in L. rohita KEYWORDS: Labeo rohita, Vitamin C, Growth performance, Oxidative stress, Immune response.

GLYCEMIC CONTROL AND COMORBIDITIES IN PATIENTS WITH TYPE 2 DIABETES MELLITUS: A GENDER-BASED STUDY IN HEALTH FACILITIES OF DUHOK, IRAQ

Background. This study aimed to investigate gender-related differences in glycemic control and the prevalence of comorbidities among diabetic patients attending healthcare facilities in Duhok, Iraq. It also examined associations between treatment regimens, lifestyle factors, and glycemic outcomes. Material and methods. A cross-sectional study was conducted from October 2024 to April 2025, enrolling 200 diabetic patients from the Duhok Diabetes Center and Azadi Teaching Hospital. Data collected included patient demographics, HbA1c values, diabetes treatment modalities, comorbid conditions, and lifestyle factors. Glycemic control was categorized as poor (HbA1c ≥ 7%) or good (HbA1c < 7%) based on the American Diabetes Association criteria. Results. Overall, 52% of patients achieved good glycemic control (HbA1c < 7%), with no statistically significant difference between males (49.52%) and females (54.74%) (p=0.4612). In contrast, patients on combined insulin and oral hypoglycemic therapy showed significantly poorer glycemic control, with 95.65% of males and 93.75% of females in this group having HbA1c ≥ 7% (p<0.0001). Conclusions. The study found no significant gender differences in glycemic control or the prevalence of comorbidities. The poorer glycemic outcomes observed in patients receiving combination therapy likely reflect more advanced or difficult-to-control disease. Keywords: glycemic control, HbA1c, gender differences, comorbidities, diabetes mellitus