Proteolytic profile and nematicidal potential of proteases produced by Pleurotus djamor in coprocultures

The aim of this study was to evaluate the proteolytic profile of the cell-free crude extract (CFCE) of Pleurotus djamor and its nematicidal action on Haemonchus spp. and Trichostrongylus spp. larvae in coprocultures. Solid-state fermentation was used to produce proteases by P. djamor. The proteolytic and specific activity of CFCE was measured, and its proteolytic profile was revealed using a zymogram. The nematicidal assay of CFCE in coprocultures was evaluated using two groups: the control group (G1) containing 1 mL of CFCE with denatured enzymes +10 g of positive feces, and the treated group (G2) containing 1 mL of active CFCE +10 g of positive feces. For each group, 10 repetitions were carried out. A proteolytic activity of 7.5 ± 0.9 U mL^-1 and a specific activity of 30 ± U mg^-1 were measured. With regard to the nematicidal assay, there was a significant 35 % reduction in the number of larvae recovered from G2 compared to G1. The zymogram showed the presence of at least two proteases in the active CFCE of P. djamor with molecular weights between 75 and 100 kDa. The results suggest that the CFCE of P. djamor has nematicidal potential even in the feces environment.