Effectiveness of Cratylia argentea as an animal feed supplement in the control of gastrointestinal nematodes in sheep

Gastrointestinal nematodes are considered one of the most important sanitary problems affecting ruminants globally; whether parasitizing alone or acting with other pathogens, they are responsible for severe economic losses related to animal husbandry. Endoparasites in small ruminants are usually controlled with anti-helminthic drugs. However, certain strains of endoparasites are resistant to such drugs. Supplementation of the diet with protein-rich foods is one strategy for reducing the negative impact of gastrointestinal parasites. Cratylia argentea has anthelmintic properties and other characteristics that favor its use as an animal feed supplement. In the present study, we subdivided crossbred lambs into homogeneous groups and fed them C. argentea (G1), C. argentea plus Brachiaria spp. (G2), or Brachiaria spp. (G3) only. The animals in group G1 had a lower average number of eggs per gram of feces (EPG) at Day 42 (p 0.05), indicating the absence of anemia and normal globular volume. This reinforces the importance of the measurement of EPG; this is a quantitative method and does not depend on the subjective interpretation of the results

Helmintophagous fungi Pochonia chlamydosporia in the biological control of Parascaris equorum

O Brasil possui o maior rebanho de equinos da América Latina e o quarto mundial. Somente a produção de cavalos movimenta R$7,3 bilhões anuais. Com relação aos helmintos que geram prejuízos à equideocultura mundial, o Parascaris equorum pode ser destacado, em função dos prejuízos permanentes sobre a capacidade funcional de órgãos como pulmão e fígado, causados pela migração das larvas. Além disso, pesquisas sobre o controle biológico de helmintos de interesse veterinário vêm ocorrendo ao longo dos anos, na tentativa de se encontrarem medidas que venham somar forças ao controle convencional, na busca por melhores condições de sanidade e produtividade animal. Assim, os objetivos do presente trabalho foram: avaliar a ação, in vitro, de dois isolados do fungo helmintófago Pochonia chlamydosporia (isolados VC1 e VC4) crescidos em diferentes meios de cultura, sobre ovos de Parascaris equorum; avaliar a ação do extrato bruto enzimático do fungo P. chlamydosporia sobre ovos de P. equorum; analisar a produção enzimática do fungo P. chlamydosporia (isolados VC1 e VC4) após 21 dias de interação com ovos de P. equorum. Foram utilizados dois isolados do fungo P. chlamydosporia (VC1 e VC4), provenientes da micoteca do Laboratório de Parasitologia do Departamento de Veterinária da Universidade Federal de Viçosa. Os ovos de P. equorum foram obtidos por meio de dissecção de exemplares fêmeas adultos, recuperados de fezes de potros naturalmente infectados, após a administração de citrato de piperazina tetrahidratado. Ao final de um período de 21 dias de interação, foram observados percentuais de destruição dos ovos de P. equorum de 41,9$ 7.3 billion annually. With helminths that generate losses to world equideoculture the Parascaris equorum can be highlighted based on the permanent damage on the functional capacity of organs such as lung and liver, caused by the migration of these larvae. Furthermore , research on the biological control of nematodes in veterinary interest have occurred over the years in an attempt to find measures that will add strength to the conventional control, the search for better conditions of animal health and productivity. Thus, research on the biological control of nematodes in veterinary interest have occurred over the years in an attempt to find measures that will add strength to the conventional control, the search for better conditions of animal health and productivity. The objectives of this study were to assess the efficacy, in vitro, of two isolates (VC1 and VC4) of helmintophagous fungus Pochonia chlamydosporia grown in different culture media on Parascaris equorum eggs; evaluate the action of a crude enzymatic extract of fungus P. chlamydosporia on eggs P. equorum; analyze the enzymatic production of fungus P. chlamydosporia (isolates VC1 and VC4) after 21 days of interaction with P. equorum eggs. Was used two isolates of the fungus P. chlamydosporia (VC1 and VC4) arising from mycology collection Laboratory of Parasitology, Department of Veterinary Medicine of the Federal University of Viçosa. The P. equorum eggs were obtained by dissection of adult female specimens recovered from feces of foals naturally infected after administration piperazine citrate tetrahydrate. At the end of a period of 21 days of interaction, were observed percentage of P. equorum eggs destruction of 41.9 % and 48.3 % for isolates VC1 and VC4, respectively. The action of a crude enzymatic extract of the fungus P. chlamydosporia (isolated VC4) showed a percentage of 36.5% of destruction, after a 48 hours period of interaction. The results presented in this work suggest that the fungus Pochonia chlamydosporia, and its crude enzymatic extract, can be used to assist in the control of embryonated eggs of the ascarid Parascaris equorum.Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológic

Nematophagous fungus Arthrobotrys musiformis as a biological controller of equine nematodes

Arthrobotrys musiformis é um fungo formador de armadilhas do tipo redes adesivas tridimensionais, capazes de capturar e predar larvas infectantes (L3) de nematoides. Nos equinos, os nematoides gastrintestinais podem levar a condições patológicas que interferem no desenvolvimento corporal e podem, inclusive, levar os animais a óbito. Dessa forma, o objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar a eficácia do fungo nematófago Arthrobotrys musiformis (isolado A144) no controle de L3 de nematoides estrongilídeos que acometem equinos. Inicialmente foi analisado a capacidade do isolado A144 de passar pelo trato gastrintestinal de equinos e manter a sua atividade predatória sobre larvas infectantes de ciatostomíneos. Coletas de fezes foram feitas 12h, 24, 36, 48 e 72h após a administração de péletes contendo micélio fúngico. Os péletes recuperados na última coleta foram colocados em placas de Petri contendo meio ágar-ágar 2% para germinarem, e larvas infectantes de ciatostomíneos foram adicionadas, para avaliar a atividade do fungo sobre essas. Paralelamente, placas contendo o isolado A144 crescido a partir de colônias mantidas em laboratório também receberam L3 de ciatostomíneos e ao final de sete dias de interação, foram obtidos os percentuais de redução de 96.61% e 96.18% dos grupos contendo o fungo mantido em laboratório e o fungo recuperados dos péletes, respectivamente, demonstrando que o fungo é capaz de passar pelo trato gastrintestinal de equinos e manter a sua capacidade predatória. Diferentes doses de conídios do isolado A144 foram avaliadas em placas, em coproculturas e em bolos fecais depositados em pastagem e o que se observou é que a redução de L3 nas dosagens de conídios testadas apresentou pouca variação entre elas, mas todas apresentaram diferença estatisticamente significativa quando comparadas ao grupo controle. As doses iniciais de esporos avaliadas neste trabalho não foram determinantes na capacidade do isolado A144 em reduzir o número de larvas infectantes de estrongilídeos, tanto em condições controladas, quanto em condições à campo. O isolado A144 do fungo nematófago Arthrobotrys musiformis é capaz de manter sua viabilidade após passagem pelo trato gastrintestinal de equinos e predar larvas infectantes de estrongilídeos. Os resultados encontrados indicam que o fungo Arthrobotrys musiformis (isolado A144) é uma alternativa para o controle das fases de vida livre dos estrongilídeos nematoides de equinos.Arthrobotrys musiformis is a trap-forming fungus of three-dimensional adhesive nets, capable of capturing and predating infective (L3) nematode larvae. In horses, gastrointestinal nematodes can cause pathological conditions that interfere with body development and can even cause death. The objective of this work was to evaluate the efficacy of the nematophagous fungus Arthrobotrys musiformis (isolate A144) in the control of L3 of strongylid nematodes of horses. Initially, the ability of the isolate A144to pass through the gastrointestinal tract of horses and to maintain its predatory activity on infective Cyathostomin larvae was analyzed. The mycelium of the fungus was incorporated into pellets of sodium alginate and administered orally, in a single dose, to horses. Fecal collections were performed 12h, 24, 36, 48 and 72h after administration of pellets. Pellets recovered in the last collection were placed in Petri dishes containing 2% agar-agar medium to germinate, and infective larvae of cyathostomins were added to evaluate fungus activity on them. In parallel, plaques containing the A144 isolate grown from colonies kept in the laboratory also received L3 from cyathostomins and at the end of seven days of interaction, reduction rates of 96.61% and 96.18% of the L3 in group containing the fungus were kept in the laboratory and the fungus recovered from the pellets, respectively, demonstrating that the fungus is able to pass through the gastrointestinal tract of horses and maintain its predatory capacity. Different doses of conidia of isolate A144 were evaluated in plaques, coprocultures and fecal pats deposited on pasture and was observed that the reduction of L3 in the dosages of conidia tested showed little variation among them, but all presented a statistically significant difference when compared to the control group. The initial doses of spores evaluated in this work were not determinant in the ability of isolate A144 to reduce the number of infectious larvae of strongyles under both controlled and field conditions. The A144 isolate of the nematophagous fungus Arthrobotrys musiformis is able to maintain its viability after passage through the gastrointestinal tract of horses and predate infectious larvae of strongyles. The results indicate that the fungus Arthrobotrys musiformis (isolate A144) is an alternative to the control of free life stages of equine nematodes strongyles.Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superio

Eficácia anti-helmíntica de Cratylia argentea (Desv.) Kuntze contra nematódeos gastrintestinais de ovinos

The use of natural products having therapeutic properties can be considered an alternative approach for the control of helminths in ruminants, reducing the indiscriminate use of chemicals as well as production costs. The anthelmintic effectiveness of Cratylia argentea on sheep endoparasites was evaluated both in vitro by assessing the number of third-stage larvae recovered per gram of feces (LPG) from coprocultures treated with pods/ground seeds, macerated leaves or vermiculite (control), and in vivo using the Fecal Egg Count Reduction Test (FECRT) in two groups of lambs (n = 8/group) that received 1 mL kg-1 body weight of C. argentea solution (treated group) or distilled water (control group) orally. When compared to control group, there was a significant reduction in the percentage of LPG in the leaves group (55.88%; p ? 0.05) and pods/ground seeds group (82.48%; p ? 0.01). There was no significant reduction (p > 0.05) in the average count of EPG upon treatment with the aqueous solution of C. argentea. These findings suggest that C. argentea extract mainly obtained from pods/ground seeds has a promising potential for the control of young stages of gastrointestinal nematodes. However, further studies are needed to validate the use of C. argentea as an alternative method for the control of parasitic diseases of ruminants.O uso de produtos naturais com propriedades terapêuticas pode ser considerado uma abordagem alternativa no controle de helmintos em ruminantes, reduzindo o uso indiscriminado de produtos químicos, bem como os custos de produção. A eficácia anti-helmíntica de Cratylia argentea sobre endoparasitos de ovinos foi avaliada tanto in vitro, mediante teste de recuperação de larvas infectantes por grama de fezes (LPG) a partir de coproculturas tratadas com vagens/sementes trituradas, folhas maceradas e vermiculita (controle), como in vivo, por meio de Teste de Redução da Contagem de Ovos por Grama de Fezes (TRCOF) em dois grupos de borregas (n = 8/grupo) que receberem por via oral 1 mL kg-1 PV de solução de C. argentea (grupo tratado) ou água destilada (grupo controle). Quando comparado ao grupo controle, houve redução estatisticamente significativa na porcentagem de LPG a partir do grupo tratado com folhas (55,88%; p ? 0,05) e do grupo tratado com vagens/sementes (82,48%; p ? 0,01). Não houve redução significativa (p > 0,05) na contagem média de OPG após o tratamento com a solução aquosa de C. argentea. Essas descobertas sugerem que o extrato de C. argentea obtido principalmente a partir de vagens/sementes tem potencial promissor para o controle de estágios jovens de nematódeos gastrointestinais. Contudo, são necessários novos estudos, a fim de validar o uso desta planta como um método alternativo no controle das parasitoses de ruminantes

Ascaris suum in pigs of the Zona da Mata, Minas Gerais State, Brazil

Among the parasites that affect pigs, Ascaris suum stands out for causing the greatest losses to livestock production systems. This parasite can be monitored during the slaughter of animals through the identification of “milk spots” or white patches on the liver caused by its larval migration. However, infection in the herd is usually subclinical, which is why the presence of this parasite in industrial pig production has been overlooked. The aim of the study was therefore to evaluate the occurrence of milk spots on the liver of animals slaughtered in the micro-region of Ponte Nova in the Zona da Mata - Minas Gerais, Brazil, and to associate these lesions with the time of year, herd size and source of origin of the animals. An evaluation was made of 1,069 lots, totaling 108,073 animals, based on data extracted from the Federal Inspection Service. The animals were slaughtered during the period of January 2011 to June 2013. Out of the total number of slaughtered animals, 10,535 (9.75%) tested positive for these lesions. Therefore, veterinarians and producers should be warned about the inefficiency of the deworming protocols that are used, and the need to develop and/or review control strategies for this parasite in production systems

Gastrointestinal helminth parasites of Gallus gallus raised in extensive system in the city of Viçosa, Minas Gerais, Brazil

Extensive rearing systems enable higher occurrence of helminths, which is a hindrance in poultry farming, significantly affecting productivity. A survey was conducted to determine the prevalence of gastrointestinal helminths in chickens reared in extensive system in the city of Viçosa, Minas Gerais, Brazil between December 2017 to September 2018. A total of 5579 specimens were recovered from the gastrointestinal tracts of most animals (81.55% of prevalence). Of the positive birds, only 41.67% had mixed infections, and of these, more than 90% were nematodes and cestodes co-infections. Three nematodes (Ascaridia galli, Heterakis gallinarum, Capillaria sp.), seven cestodes (Raillietina tetragona, R. echinobothrida, R. cesticillus, Choanotaenia infundibulum, Hymenolepis cantaniana, H. carioca and Davainea proglottina) and two trematodes (Postharmostomum commutatum and Echinostoma sp.) species were identified. The most dominant helminth species was H. gallinarum (60.19%), which also presented higher average intensity (35.46 ± 0.65) and abundance (21.34 ± 3.01) among all recovered species. The tapeworm species correspond to 42.23% of prevalence and the trematodes correspond to only 3.40%. Despite the scarcity of data in the Brazilian literature on poultry helminths reared in extensive systems, regional parasitological surveys are important. It is expected that these results will contribute to the adoption of prophylactic measures and alternative control strategies in order to reduce the risk of helminth infection in poultr

Ascaris suum in pigs of the Zona da Mata, Minas Gerais State, Brazil

Among the parasites that affect pigs, Ascaris suum stands out for causing the greatest losses to livestock production systems. This parasite can be monitored during the slaughter of animals through the identification of “milk spots” or white patches on the liver caused by its larval migration. However, infection in the herd is usually subclinical, which is why the presence of this parasite in industrial pig production has been overlooked. The aim of the study was therefore to evaluate the occurrence of milk spots on the liver of animals slaughtered in the micro-region of Ponte Nova in the Zona da Mata - Minas Gerais, Brazil, and to associate these lesions with the time of year, herd size and source of origin of the animals. An evaluation was made of 1,069 lots, totaling 108,073 animals, based on data extracted from the Federal Inspection Service. The animals were slaughtered during the period of January 2011 to June 2013. Out of the total number of slaughtered animals, 10,535 (9.75%) tested positive for these lesions. Therefore, veterinarians and producers should be warned about the inefficiency of the deworming protocols that are used, and the need to develop and/or review control strategies for this parasite in production systems

Bioverm® in the Control of Nematodes in Beef Cattle Raised in the Central-West Region of Brazil

Cooperia, Haemonchus and Oesophagostomum are the genera of gastrointestinal parasitic nematodes most prevalent in cattle and constitute a serious problem in cattle breeding due to the impact they have on meat and milk production and the high costs of control measures. The objective of the present work was to evaluate the efficiency of Bioverm® (Duddingtonia flagrans) in the control of gastrointestinal parasitism of young cattle raised in the field, in the Central-West region of Brazil. The experiment was conducted on a farm located in the municipality of Jangada, MT, where 18 cattle, Nelore and Aberdeen Angus breeds, aged six to ten months, were randomly divided into two groups (treated group and control group) and distributed in paddocks of Brachiaria decumbens, naturally infested by larvae of gastrointestinal nematodes. The animals in the treated group received 1g of Bioverm® for each 10 kg of body weight, administered daily with commercial feed, throughout a period of six months. In the control group, each animal received 1 g of rice bran for each 10 kg of body weight, without Bioverm®, added to the feed. Stool and pasture samples were collected every two weeks. The treated group showed a significant reduction (p < 0.05) in values of eggs per gram of feces (EPG) and a significant gain of body weight (p < 0.05) when compared to the control group. The fungal formulation Bioverm® was effective in pasture decontamination and consequently in reducing the occurrence of reinfection by nematodes. The animals treated with Bioverm® showed a lower parasitic load and greater weight gain

Using the fungus Arthrobotrys cladodes var. macroides as a sustainable strategy to reduce numbers of infective larvae of bovine gastrointestinal parasitic nematodes

Research in the area of sanitation in ruminant production has focused on discovery of potential agents for biological control of helminths with nematophagous fungi and has provided evidence of success. The antagonistic potential of the fungus Arthrobotrys cladodes var. macroides on infective larvae of bovine gastrointestinal parasitic nematodes was evaluated by scanning electron microscopy. Additionally, an in vivo test of the resistance to digestive processes and viability of the fungus was carried out using a formulation based on sodium alginate administered orally in cattle. Production of conidia and chlamydospores was high. In in vitro tests, the number of infective nematode larvae was reduced 68.7% by the fungus in the treated group compared to the control group. The interaction between the fungus and the nematodes was confirmed by scanning electron microscopy. Plates containing fecal samples collected after oral administration of 100 g of pellets containing the A. cladodes fungus showed that the fungus survived passage through the gastrointestinal tract of ruminants, grew on agar, formed traps and preyed on L3 larvae of gastrointestinal parasites. The results of the present study provide a new opportunity for alternative, environmentally safe control of ruminant nematodes

Reduction of bovine strongilides in naturally contaminated pastures in the southeast region of Brazil

Biological control through the use of nematophagous fungi is a sustainable alternative for combatting helminthes in domestic animals and allows a reduction in the use of anthelmintics. The objective of this research was to evaluate the efficacy of the Arthrobotrys cladodes var macroides fungus in a pelleted formulation, based on sodium alginate and administered twice a week orally, as an alternative for the biological control of nematodes in field-grown young cattle. The experiment was conducted in a farm located in the municipality of Viçosa, MG, where 12 cattle, seven to nine months old, were allocated in two groups (treated group and control group) and distributed in pickets of Brachiaria decumbens, naturally infested with nematode larvae. The animals in the treated group received 1g of sodium alginate matrix pellets for every 10 kg of animal live weight, containing the nematophagous fungus Arthrobotrys cladodes var macroides and administered twice a week in conjunction with commercial feed. In the control group, each animal received 1 g of pellets for every 10 kg of animal live weight, without fungal mycelium added to the feed. Samples of feces and pastures were collected fortnightly for 12 months. The results showed that the most prevalent nematode genera in the coprocultures were Haemonchus sp., Cooperia sp. and Oesophagostomum sp., reflecting the results found in forage. The pasture that contained the animals that received feed with the fungus presented a reduction of 59% and 52% of larvae recovered at distances of 20 cm and 40 cm from the fecal pats, respectively. The mean number of eggs per gram of feces each month and animal body weight did not differ (p > 0.05) between the treated and control groups. Stool and soil samples from both groups were colonized by A. cladodes fungus and other fungi. Administration of Arthrobotrys cladodes var macroides mycelium by means of a sodium alginate matrix twice weekly reduced larval infestation of the surrounding pasture, indicating that this fungus may be a promising biological control of infecting forms of nematodes present in the environment