Biological control of Ascaris suum eggs by Pochonia chlamydosporia fungus

Abstract

Ascaris suum is a gastrointestinal nematode parasite of swines. The aim of this study was to observe Pochonia chlamydosporia fungus on biological control of A. suum eggs after fungus passage through swines gastrointestinal tract. Eighteen pigs, previously dewormed, were randomly divided into three groups: group 1, treated with the fungus isolate VC4; group 2, treated with the fungus isolate VC1 and group 3 did not receive fungus (control). In the treated groups, each animal received a 9 g single dose of mycelium mass containing P. chlamydosporia (VC1 or VC4). Thereafter, animal fecal samples were collected at the following intervals: 8, 12, 24, 36, 48, 72 and 96 h after treatment beginning and these were poured in Petri dishes containing 2% water-agar culture medium. Then, 1,000 A. suum eggs were poured into each dish and kept in an incubator at 26 °C and in the dark for 30 days. After this period, approximately 100 eggs were removed from each Petri dish and morphologically analyzed under light microscopy following the ovicidal activity parameters. The higher percentage observed for isolated VC4 eggs destruction was 57.5% (36 h) after fungus administration and for isolate VC1 this percentage was 45.8% (24 h and 72 h) (p > 0.01). P. chlamydosporia remained viable after passing through the gastrointestinal tract of swines, maintaining its ability of destroying A. suum eggs.

Expression and specificity of a chitin deacetylase from the nematophagous fungus Pochonia chlamydosporia potentially involved in pathogenicity

“…Chitin deacetylation makes this polymer more elastic and soluble for fungal penetration using both hyphae and apressoria 1 with concomitant degradation of eggshell components by extracellular enzymes 57 . CDA activity from P. chlamydosporia would not only have relevance in biotechnology and agriculture but also in human and animal health because this fungus also infects eggs from animal parasitic nematodes 58 .…”

Fungi and Oomycetes–Allies in Eliminating Environmental Pathogens

“…P. chlamydosporia is a fungus used in numerous researches against several species of parasites, against which it has shown significant negative effects. Among the species of parasites that have proved sensitive to its action, are found: Ascaridia galli [178,179], Heterakis gallinarum [178,179], Oxyuris equi [180], Ascaris suum [181], and Toxocara canis [182].…”

Recent Advances in the Control of Helminths of Domestic Animals by Helminthophagous Fungi

“…This fungus also produces chlamydospores in abundance. Several studies have addressed the efficacy of P. chlamydosporia in the control of helminths in domestic animals such as Oxyuris equi [21], Ancylostoma ceylanicum, Ascaris suum [22], Fasciola hepatica [23,24], Toxocara canis [25], and in poultry helminths [15,26,27].…”