In vitro predatory activity of nematophagous fungi isolated from water buffalo feces and from soil in the Mexican southeastern

Abstract

Nematophagous fungi from the feces of water buffalo and soil from southeastern Mexico were isolated, and their in vitro predatory activity against Haemonchus contortus infective larvae (L3) (HcL3) was assessed. The fungi were isolated by sprinkling soil or feces on water agar plates. Six series of 10 Petri dishes containing a 7-day-old culture of each fungus and a series without fungi as the control were prepared. Five hundred HcL3 were added to each plate. The plates were incubated at room temperature. The average of recovered HcL3 was considered to estimate the larval reduction rate. Four nematophagous fungi isolates corresponding to Arthrobotrys oligospora, var microspora (strains 4-276, 269 and 50-80) and one identified as A. oligospora,var. oligospora (isolates 48-80) were obtained from water buffalo feces. From the soil, five isolates were isolated; three corresponded to A. musiformis (Bajío, Yumca and Macuspana isolates), and two isolates were identified as A. oligospora (Comalcalco and Jalapa de Méndez isolates). The predatory activity of isolates from water buffalo feces ranged between 85.9 and 100%. Meanwhile, the fungi from the soil ranged between 55.5 and 100% (p≤0.05). The nematophagous fungi obtained could have important implications in the control of parasites of importance in the livestock industry.

Isolation of saprophytic filamentous fungi from avian fecal samples and assessment of its predatory activity on coccidian oocysts

“…To our knowledge, this study allowed to isolate for the first time filamentous fungi with predatory capacities from bird fecal samples, suggesting that birds are also “natural shedders” of this kind of fungi, as previously reported by several authors for mammal species, namely ruminants, horses and carnivores kept in farms and zoological parks 30 – 35 .…”

“…Predatory fungi are also known for their ubiquity, having been mostly isolated from agricultural soil, decaying organic matter, and animal feces 29 . Studies performed in America, Europe, Asia, Oceania and Antarctica have reported the isolation of filamentous fungi with ability to predate intestinal parasitic forms, from feces belonging to a wide diversity of animal species, including: sheep, goats and bovines 30 – 34 ; water buffalo 35 ; donkeys 34 ; coati, raccoon, Eurasian lynx, Brown bear, mouflon, gazelle, bison, dromedary, guanaco and wallaby 33 ; and horses 31 , 33 . The most commonly isolated taxa of predatory fungi with larvicidal properties are Duddingtonia flagrans (Dudd.)…”

High Predatory Capacity of a Novel Arthrobotrys oligospora Variety on the Ovine Gastrointestinal Nematode Haemonchus contortus (Rhabditomorpha: Trichostrongylidae)

“…Furthermore, some studies have documented the ability of Arthrobotrys oligospora to successfully feed on larvae in the third stage (L 3 ) of cyathostomins that infect horses in Brazil [ 11 ] and some gastrointestinal nematodes (GIN) in sheep and cattle [ 12 , 13 ]. Arthrobotrys species were first described in Europe in 1850 by George Fresenius.…”

Soil-Borne Nematodes: Impact in Agriculture and Livestock and Sustainable Strategies of Prevention and Control with Special Reference to the Use of Nematode Natural Enemies

“…Their potential use in the control of phytonematodes in different economically important crops has also been demonstrated with successful results [174][175][176]. The predatory activity of nematophagous fungi, both in vitro and in vivo, against animal parasitic nematodes has been widely documented [177][178][179]; some of the most studied nematophagous fungi in the control of plant and animal parasitic nematodes are species from the genera Arthrobotrys, Duddingtonia, Purpureocillium and Pochonia chlamydosporia. Some of the main characteristics of these fungi are briefly described.…”