Abstract
Plants and fungi are known as a valuable source of natural medicines used in the treatment of various diseases. Many of them are used to treat human and animal gastrointestinal diseases caused by parasites. The aim of this study was to investigate for the first time the antinematode properties of extracellular low-molecular subfractions (ex-LMS) obtained from the liquid growth medium of idiophasic Cerrena unicolor cultures. The fungal fractions were isolated according to a procedure previously described by Jaszek et al. The in vitro tests were performed using nematodes of the Rhabditis genus. As demonstrated by the results, the total fraction with a molecular weight < 10 kDa (CU-A) and the 0.02–1.5 kDa fraction (CU-B) had nematicidal activity. It was found that the analyzed substances induced movement disturbances caused by the paralysis of the back part of the nematode’s body. The degree of body paralysis was proportional to the increase in the concentration of the tested fractions. Summarizing the obtained results in the context of the available literature data, it seems that C. unicolor may be a good new candidate for research on nematode infections.
Highlights
Nematodes are present in up to 80% of all known animals
According to a report by the World Health Organization (WHO), about 1.5 billion people in the world were infected with intestinal nematodes in 2018
The concentration values of both fractions, which resulted in a 50% reduction in the number of viable nematodes in the tested sample, were 11.7 mg/mL and 9.4 mg/mL (0.02–1.5 kDa), respectively
Summary
Nematodes are present in up to 80% of all known animals. They are present all over the world. Many species of unsegmented roundworms of the phylum Nematoda are harmful because they parasitize on humans, animals, plants, and fungi. Gastrointestinal infections in humans and animals caused by parasitic nematodes is a serious health and economic problem affecting both poor, developing and rich countries [1,2]. Internal infection with parasitic nematodes significantly interferes with the proper functioning of the human body, and the effects of the disease are persistent and dangerous in children [3]. Sheep haemonchosis is a disease caused by Haemonchus contortus nematodes of the Trichostrongylidae family. The disease causes anemia, diarrhea, weight loss, low production performance, and even the death of young animals, thereby causing great economic losses to breeders [6,7]
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