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Objective: Study on the viability and nematophagous
activity of three native isolates of Arthrobotrys (two A.
oligospora and one A. cladodes var. macroides) after
passage through sheep’s gastrointestinal tract.
Design: Field study.
Animals: Three sheep for each isolate.
Procedure: Three native isolates of Arthrobotrys (two A.
oligospora and one A. cladodes var. macroide) isolated
from soil of different regions of Mazandaran. Each isolate
was cultured on barley and given in equal amounts to three sheep. Four and five days after administration, the faeces of sheep were recultured for isolation of Arthrobotrys sp.
and to lest their viability and nematophagous activity using
faecal culture and dung pat bioassay.
Statistical analysis: Analysis of variance (ANOVA).
Results: Conidia of three native isolates of Arthrobotrys
were reisolated from faeces of infected animals which kept
their viability and showed 79.75 - 82.26% and 78.79-
89.27% nematophagous activity in faecal culture and dung
pat bioassay, respectively.
Clinical implications: These new isolates are significantly
able to reduce the number of Haemonchus contortus infective larvae through oral administration and can be
considered as an alternative for chemotherapy.
J.Fac. vet.Med. Univ. Tehran. 60,3:229-233,2005.