In Vitro, in Vivo, and Interaction Studies of Nematophagous Fungus Arthrobotrys thaumasia (Monacrosporium thaumasium) with the Larvae of Trichostrongylides of Sheep

Abstract It is important to isolate potential candidates from the local isolates of nematophagous fungi and to investigate interaction between the fungal strains and gastrointestinal nematodes for the biological control of parasitic nematodes in livestock. In the present study, we assessed the in vitro predatory activity and the viability of isolates of Arthrobotrys thaumasia (Monacrosporium thaumasium) after passage through the gastrointestinal tract of sheep. The predatory process of a representative isolate selected against the larvae of trichostrongylids was prepared with a scanning electron microscope (SEM). In vitro experiments tested the ability of 9 native isolates of A. thaumasia to prey on larvae of feces of sheep infected with natural mixed nematodes (Haemonchus contortus, Trichostongylus colubriformis, Marshallagia mongolica). These isolates of A. thaumasia decreased infectivity of third stage infective larvae (L3) by 75.54–99.97%; 7 isolates decreased infectivity by more than 90%. In vivo exp...