Predation rate of nematophagous fungi after passing through the gastrointestinal tract of goats

Nematophagous fungi are natural enemies of gastrointestinal helminth parasites. Fungi Arthrobotrys robusta (I31), Arthrobotrys conoides (I40), Duddingtonia flagrans (AC001), and Monacrosporium thaumasium (NF34) were combined: AC001 + I31 and NF34 + I40 and tested for the biological control of parasitic gastrointestinal nematode of goats in two trials. In trial A, the objective was to evaluate the predation capacity of the AC001 + I31 and NF34 + I40 fungi combinations in vitro. In trial B, the viability of the nematophagous fungi combination (conidia and chlamydospores/kg live weight) was evaluated after passage through the gastrointestinal tract of goats. In trial A, the combination of the AC001 + I31 and I40 + NF34 isolates reduced the number of L3 larvae of gastrointestinal nematodes (p < 0.01) by 93 and 98% respectively. In trial B, the isolates AC001 + I31 and NF34 + I40 combination passed through the gastrointestinal tract of goats and reduced the number of L3 larvae in the gastrointestinal nematodes in vitro. The number of larvae recovered was 53 and 68% lower in the group treated with the isolates AC001 + I31 after 12 (p < 0.01) and 48 (p < 0.05) h of inoculation respectively. The combination of NF34 + I40 reduced the proportion of larvae by 56, 61, and 48%, after 24, 48, and 72 h respectively. The combinations of the fungi AC001 + I31 and I40 + NF34 showed high predatory activity in vitro and passed through the gastrointestinal tract of goats without predation viability losses.