Optimization of production of chlamydospores of the nematode-trapping fungus Duddingtonia flagrans in solid culture media.

The large-scale production of nematophagous fungi as agents of biological control is one of the main challenges to be commercially used. In order to improve growth of microorganism in a culture medium, the addition of growth inducer is common. At the moment, the action of their addition in the mycelia growth and sporulation rate of nematophagous fungi is not known. The purpose of this trial was to evaluate the sporulation rate of Duddingtonia flagrans by adding two growth inducers, meso-inositol and Tween 80, both at 0.5 % in a traditional culture medium Sabouraud glucose agar (SGA) and also in a traditional culture medium enriched with wheat flour and milk powder. From a traditional sterile culture of D. flagrans, four groups were made: SGA; Sabouraud glucose agar-meso-inositol 0.5 %; Sabouraud glucose agar-Tween 80 0.5 %; and Sabouraud glucose agar-enriched (SGA-E). These media were placed at a constant temperature of 27 °C for 4 weeks. Following this, chlamydospores were gently rinsed off with sterile water and counted using a Neubauer haematocytometer to estimate the number of chlamydospores per millilitre of water. The addition of meso-inositol 0.5 % to SGA promoted a significant increase (p < 0.05) in chlamydospore production obtaining an average of 51,715,000 chlamydospores per Petri dish. The highest chlamydospore concentration was observed in the SGA-E in comparison with SGA (p < 0.01) obtaining an average of 208,760,000 chlamydospores. The aim of this study was to obtain basic knowledge regarding the effect of enriched culture medium and growth-inducing meso-inositol and Tween 80 on mycelial growth and production of chlamydospores.