Rumen ciliates (Ciliophora, Trichostomatia) in Brazilian domestic cattle feeding on diets with crescent urea levels.

Since their discovery, rumen ciliates of domestic cattle have been reported from various geographic locations. However, until now there is only one taxonomic inventory of ciliates associated with Brazilian cattle. The present study aimed to assess the community composition, relative abundance, richness, and density of rumen ciliates in Brazilian cattle, whose feeding diets were supplemented with crescent urea levels. Across all treatments analyzed, one subclass, two orders, three families, 11 genera, and 31 species of ciliates were identified. The ciliate community composition and species richness varied among the four treatments used. However, the total ciliate density was not affected by the experimental diets. We described a new entodiniid morphotype, Entodinium caudatum m. orbonuclearis, and recorded Oligoisotricha bubali for the second time in Brazil.

Morphological and Morphometric Characterization of Eodinium posterovesiculatum (Ciliophora, Ophryoscolecidae) in Brazilian Cattle

Abstract The morphological variability of Eodinium posterovesiculatum (Ciliophora, Trichostomatia) has been interpreted in different ways: four distinct species or four morphotypes of the same species. The present study aims to perform morphological and morphometric comparative analysis of the four morphotypes found in cattle from the southeastern region of Brazil. Ruminal content samples were obtained from four Holstein x Gir cattle and fixed at 18.5% formalin for morphological analysis. Morphometry was performed based on individuals stained with Lugol's solution [1]. The infraciliary bands were stained using silver carbonate impregnation technique [2]. Morphological and morphometric characterizations, supported by literature, suggest that the four morphotypes of E. posterovesiculatum are actually a single polymorphic species due to small morphometric differences and mostly identical morphological characters, with the format of the caudal processes being the only morphological characteristic that sets them apart.

Intestinal ciliates (Alveolata, Ciliophora) in Brazilian domestic horses (Equus caballus L.) and a review on the ciliate communities associated with horses around the world.

The aims of this study were to identify and quantify the gastrointestinal ciliates from Brazilian domestic horses, to compare the data obtained with previous studies and to review data on ciliate communities associated with horses around the world. We used eight domestic horses, kept under extensive management. Fecal samples were obtained immediately after defecation of animals and fixed in 18.5% formaldehyde. We identify 24 species of endosymbiotic ciliates, distributed in two subclasses, two orders, five families and 13 genera. The ciliate composition was similar among the animals analyzed. The family Blepharocorythidae presented the higher prevalence and the family Buetschliidae was observed in greater abundance and density. Among the species identified, Cycloposthium dentiferum was observed for the first time in Central and South America and Bundleia elongata, B. inflata, B. piriformis, B. vorax and Cycloposthium psicauda, were observed for the first time in the American continent. In addition, the species Buissonella tapiri, which was originally discovered in fecal contents of the American tapir (Tapirus terrestris) in Brazil was observed for the first time associated to Equus caballus. The review on the ciliate communities associated with horses around the world demonstrated that the equine ciliates are a very diversified group with representatives in two subclasses, Suctoria and Trichostomatia, totaling 78 species distributed in three orders and six families, having been registered in different equine hosts (Equus asinus, Equus caballus and Equus quagga) and geographic locations (USA, China, Russia, Taiwan, Mexico, Cyprus, Turkey, Kyrgyzstan and Brazil).