Moose Saliva Helps Stop the Spread of Toxic Grass Fungus

Researchers at York University in Toronto found themselves in a bit of a "sticky" situation. In this case, it wasn't a bad thing.

They discovered that moose saliva can be an excellent way to fight against certain species of toxic grass fungus.

Findings published in the journal Biology Letters found that when applied to red fescue grass, both moose and reindeer saliva could slow the growth of fungus and help prevent toxicity.

"Plants have evolved defense mechanisms to protect themselves, such as thorns, bitter-tasting berries, and in the case of certain types of grass, by harbouring toxic fungus deep within them that can be dangerous or even fatal for grazing animals," said York U Biology Professor Dawn Bazely, who worked with University of Cambridge researcher Andrew Tanentzap and York U researcher Mark Vicari on the project, in a news release. "We wanted to find out how moose were able to eat such large quantities of this grass without negative effects."

Based on another study, researchers set out to see if moose saliva could "detoxify" the grass before it was eaten.

The researchers collected saliva samples from moose and reindeer. Then, they smeared the samples onto red fescue grass that carried the toxic fungus. Findings revealed that this application inhibited the fungi's growth within 12-36 hours.

However, researchers said that as certain moose likely graze over the same areas, this may have resulted in fewer toxins within preferred areas over time.

"We know that animals can remember if certain plants have made them feel ill, and they may avoid these plants in future," concluded Bazely. "This study the first evidence, to our knowledge, of herbivore saliva being shown to ‘fight back' and slow down the growth of the fungus."