Exposure of Toxocara canis eggs to Purpureocillium lilacinum as a biocontrol strategy: an experimental model evaluation

Abstract

Purpureocillium lilacinum is a nematophagous fungus used in biological control against some parasites, including Toxocara canis. This study researched the infectivity of embryonated T. canis eggs after exposure to the fungus P. lilacinum. T. canis eggs were exposed to P. lilacinum for 15 or 30 days and subsequently administered to Swiss mice (n=20). Control group consisted of mice who received T. canis embryonated eggs without fungal exposure. Forty-eight hours after infection, heart, lung, and liver from animals of each group were collected to assess larval recovery. The organs of mice that received embryonated eggs exposed to the fungus showed a lower average larval recovery (P<0.05) suggesting that exposure of T. canis eggs to P. lilacinum was able to reduce experimental infection. Under the evaluated conditions, the interaction time between the fungus and the parasite eggs was not a significant factor in larvae recovery. P. lilacinum may be considered a promising T. canis biological control agent. However, further studies are needed to determine a protocol for the use of this fungus as a biological control agent.

Purpureocillium lilacinum an emergent pathogen: antifungal susceptibility of environmental and clinical strains

“…2016; Maia Filho et al . 2019), and it is noteworthy the risk to the workers when manipulating it, since this fungus is considered an emerging and opportunistic human pathogen. Despite its moderate virulence, it is capable to cause hyalohyphomycosis in immunosuppressed adults (Lundstrom and Abu Saleh 2019; Salazar‐González et al .…”

Purpureocillium lilacinum and Trichoderma virens for biological control of trichostrongylid parasites of sheep: an in vitro evaluation

“…were conducted by Maia et al (2013Maia et al ( , 2017 on Toxocara canis eggs, and these studies demonstrated its efficiency in controlling this parasite. Similarly, Purpureocillium lilacinum (Paecilomyces lilacinus) has been shown to have potential biocontrol effect on parasites of medical and veterinary relevance, including T. canis (Carvalho et al, 2009;Maia et al, 2019), Taenia saginata (Braga et al, 2008a), and Moniezia sp. (Braga et al, 2008b).…”