In vitro predatory activity of nematophagous fungi <Emphasis Type="Italic">Duddingtonia flagrans</Emphasis> on infective larvae of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Oesophagostomum</Emphasis> spp. after passing through gastrointestinal tract of pigs

One isolate of predator fungi Duddingtonia flagrans (AC001) was assessed in vitro regarding the capacity of supporting the passage through pigs' gastrointestinal tract without loss of the ability of preying infective larvae Oesophagostomum spp. Fungal isolates survived the passage and were efficient in preying L₃ since the first 8 h of collection (p < 0.01) in relation to the control group (without fungus). Compared with control, there was a significant decrease (p < 0.01) of 59.6% (8 h), 71.7% (12 h), 76.8% (24 h), 81.0% (36 h), 78.0% (48 h), 76.1% (72 h), and 82.7% (96 h) in means of infective larvae Oesophagostomum spp. recovered from treatments with isolate AC001. Linear regression coefficients of L₃ of recovered Oesophagostomum spp. regarding the collections due to time were −0.621 for control, −1.40 for AC001, and −2.64 for NF34. Fungi D. flagrans (AC001) had demonstrated to be promising for use in the biological control of pig parasite Oesophagostomum spp.