Environmental stress and parasitic infections: I. The effects of Gramoxone and Hexadrin on embryo and hatching of Fasciola gigantica miracidia.

TLDR: Results show that at sublethal concentrations they cause prolongation of embryonic processes and inhibition of hatching of miracidia, and at 4 ppm and 5.5 ppm the pesticides achieve 99.0% mortality of eggs.

Abstract: The effect of two chemical compounds commonly used in agriculture, Gramoxone (a herbicide) and Hexadrin (an insecticide) on embryonic development and hatching of Fasciola gigantica miracidia were experimentally assessed. These two pesticides were introduced in varying quantities into petri dishes containing unembryonated eggs of the trematode for a period of 30 days. LC50 (lethal concentration for 50% hatching) values were determined for them. For gramoxone it was 2 ppm and for Hexadrin it was 2.5 ppm. Results also show that at 4 ppm and 5.5 ppm the pesticides achieve 99.0% mortality of eggs. At sublethal concentrations they cause prolongation of embryonic processes and inhibition of hatching of miracidia.