RT Journal Article
T1 Agar–Agar Gels Carrying Curative and Preventive Agents Against Helminths: An In Vitro Compatibility Evaluation
A1 Zubiria Ibarguren, Izaro
A1 Abreu Ramos, Inês
A1 Boso Dafonte, David
A1 Pérez Anzúrez, Gustavo
A1 Cazapal Monteiro, Cristiana Filipa
A1 Sánchez-Andrade Fernández, Rita
A1 Arias Vázquez, María Sol
A1 Paz Silva, Adolfo
A1 Hernández Malagón, José Ángel
A1 Camiña García, María Mercedes
K1 Endoparasites
K1 Animals
K1 Deworming
K1 Mucor circinelloides
K1 Prevention
AB The global market size of animal parasiticides was valued at USD 12.9 billion in 2024. Animal deworming only results in temporary cures with little to no preventive effects; therefore, a strategy that combines animal deworming with prevention is essential in improving the control of helminths. The effectiveness of co-administrating curative and preventive agents and their compatibility were considered based on the parasitophagous fungus Mucor circinelloides, which was developed in edible agar–agar (red seaweed)-carrying dewormers. Accordingly, Petri dishes were prepared with either a biopolymer alone (control, G-C) or with the anthelmintic piperazine (550, 1102, 2210, and 5500 mg/plate) or levamisole (37.5, 75, 150, and 300 mg/plate) and were used to culture the fungus Mucor circinelloides. Strong fungal growth and high numbers of spores were observed in the presence of the anthelmintics. No differences were measured between the control plates and those containing parasiticide drugs. Similar mycelial growth patterns and sporogenesis rates were recorded for different amounts of each anthelmintic. In conclusion, this novel formulation based on biopolymers containing anthelmintics and enriched with the parasitophagous fungus represents a highly promising tool to consider for jointly deworming animals and minimizing the risks of helminth infection. Further studies are in progress to confirm these in vitro results.
PB MDPI
YR 2025
FD 2025-07-12
LK https://hdl.handle.net/10347/42500
UL https://hdl.handle.net/10347/42500
LA eng
NO Zubiría, I.; Abreu, I.; Boso, D.; Pérez, G.; Cazapal, C.; Sánchez-Andrade, R.; Arias, M.S.; Paz-Silva, A.; Hernández, J.Á.; Camiña, M. Agar–Agar Gels Carrying Curative and Preventive Agents Against Helminths: An In Vitro Compatibility Evaluation. Gels 2025, 11, 542. https://doi.org/10.3390/gels11070542
NO Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación, Spain; FEDER
NO Consellería de Cultura, Educación e Universidades, Xunta de Galicia, Spain: ED431B2021/07
DS Minerva
RD 24 abr 2026