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Introduction: Strongyloides venezuelensis has been used as a model for studying human strongyloidosis., Methods: This study aimed to compare the ability of predatory nematophagous fungi Duddingtonia flagrans (AC001), Arthrobotrys robusta (I-31) and Monacrosporium sinense (SF53) and on infective larvae (L3) of Strongyloides venezuelensis in laboratory conditions on 2% water-agar medium., Results: At the end of the experiment, the percentage reductions of Strongyloides venezuelensi L3 were: 93% (AC001), 77.2% (I-31) and 65.2% (SF53)., Conclusions: The nematophagous fungi were able to capture and destroy the L3 in vitro and can be used as biological controllers of Strongyloides venezuelensi.

Introduction: Strongyloides stercoralis is a nematode that infects much of the population worldwide., Methods: This study aimed to compare the ability of predatory nematophagous fungi Duddingtonia flagrans (AC001), Monacrosporium thaumasium (NF34) and Arthrobotrys robusta (I-31) on infective larvae (L₃) of Strongyloides stercoralis in laboratory conditions on 2% water-agar., Results: At the end of the experiment, the percentage reductions in Strongyloides stercoralis L3 were 83.7% (AC001), 75.5% (NF34) and 73.2% (I-31)., Conclusions: The nematophagous fungi were able to capture and destroy the L3 in vitro and may be used as biological controls of Strongyloides stercoralis.

Nematophagous fungi are potential biological control agents of helminths. The in vitro ovicidal effect of four isolates of the nematophagous fungi Pochonia chlamydosporia (VC1 and VC4), Duddingtonia flagrans (AC001) and Monacrosporium thaumasium (NF34) was evaluated on egg capsules of Dipylidium caninum, a cestode parasite of dogs, cats and humans. One thousand egg capsules of D. caninum were plated on 2% water-agar with the grown isolates and control without fungus. The ovicidal activity of these fungi was evaluated 5, 10 and 15 days after incubation. Only P. chlamydosporia showed ovicidal activity (p<0.05) on D. caninum egg capsules, of 19.6% (VC1) and 20% (VC4) on the 5th day; 44.2% (VC1) and 31.5% (VC4) on the 10th day; and 49.2% (VC1) and 41.9% (VC4) on the 15th day. D. flagrans and M. thaumasium caused no morphological damage to egg capsules. The results demonstrated that P. chlamydosporia was in vitro effective against capsules and eggs of D. caninum, and can be considered as a potential biological control agent for this helminth.

The viability of a fungal formulation using the nematode-trapping fungus Duddingtonia flagrans was assessed for the biological control of horse cyathostomin. Two groups (fungus-treated and control without fungus treatment), consisting of eight crossbred mares (3-18 years of age) were fed on Cynodon sp. pasture naturally infected with equine cyathostome larvae. Each animal of the treated group received oral doses of sodium alginate mycelial pellets (1g/(10 kg live weight week)), during 6 months. Significant reduction (p<0.01) in the number of eggs per gram of feces and coprocultures was found for animals of the fungus-treated group compared with the control group. There was difference (p<0.01) of 78.5% reduction in herbage samples collected up to (0-20 cm) between the fungus-treated group and the control group, during the experimental period (May-October). Difference of 82.5% (p<0.01) was found between the fungus-treated group and the control group in the sampling distance (20-40 cm) from fecal pats. During the last 3 months of the experimental period (August, September and October), fungus-treated mares had significant weight gain (p<0.01) compared with the control group, an increment of 38 kg. The treatment with sodium alginate pellets containing the nematode-trapping fungus D. flagrans reduced cyathostomin in tropical southeastern Brazil and could be an effective tool for biological control of this parasitic nematode in horses.

With the aim of demonstrating the effectiveness of the fungus Paecilomyces lilacinus on Taenia saginata eggs under laboratory conditions, a trial was set up in Petri dishes with water-agar 2%. There was ovicidal activity (p < 0.05) in relation to the control group on the tenth day of interaction and an internal colonization rate of 25.5% in the eggs.