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Showing papers on "Biomphalaria alexandrina published in 2019"


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Findings concluded that B. alexandrina snails can be used as a bioindicator for pollution with pesticide in the aquatic environment.
Abstract: Oxyfluorfen (Goal 24%EC) herbicide is widely used in agriculture for weed control. Biomphalaria alexandrina snails can be used as bioindicator of the chemical pollution in the aquatic environment. The objective of this study was to evaluate the molluscicidal activity of this herbicide on Biomphalaria alexandrina snails and how it affected its biological system. The present study revealed a molluscicidal effect of oxyfluorfen 24%EC on these snails at LC50 5.9 mg/l. After exposure of snails to the sub-lethal concentrations (LC0, LC10, or LC25) of this herbicide, the survival rates, reproductive rate (R0), and fecundity (Mx) of adult B. alexandrina snails were significantly decreased in comparison with the control group. Also, levels of testosterone and estradiol were decreased significantly. It caused alterations in the antioxidant system, where exposure to sub-lethal concentration of this herbicide caused significant increases in levels of lipid peroxide malondialdehyde (MDA), catalase (CAT), and superoxide dismutase (SOD), while it significantly decreased glutathione transferase (GST). Histopathological changes in the digestive gland included severe damage in the digestive cells, where, they lost their tips and some were degenerated, while the secretory cells increased in number. Regarding the hermaphrodite gland, there were losses of the connective tissues, irregular sperms, and the eggs degenerated. These findings concluded that B. alexandrina snails can be used as a bioindicator for pollution with pesticide in the aquatic environment.

31 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: 4% TDS is active against O. hupensis, B. alexandrina and B. truncatus under laboratory and field conditions, and it may be a candidate molluscicide of plant origin.
Abstract: Control of snail intermediate hosts has been proved to be a fast and efficient approach for interrupting the transmission of schistosomiasis. Some plant extracts have shown obvious molluscicidal activity, and a new compound Luo-Wei, also named tea-seed distilled saponin (TDS), was developed based on the saponins extracted from Camellia oleifera seeds. We aimed to test the molluscicidal activity of 4% TDS against the intermediate host snails in China and Egypt, and evaluate its environmental safety to non-target organisms. In the laboratory, Oncomelania hupensis, Biomphalaria alexandrina and Bulinus truncatus were exposed to 4% TDS, and the median lethal concentration (LC50) was estimated at 24, 48 and 72 h. In the field, snail mortalities were assessed 1, 2, 3 and 7 d post-immersion with 2.5 g/m3 4% TDS and 1, 3, 7 and 15 d post-spraying with 5 g/m2 4% TDS. In addition, the acute toxicity of 4% TDS to Japanese quail (Coturnix japonica), zebrafish (Brachydanio rerio) and freshwater shrimp (Macrobrachium nipponense) was assessed by estimations of LC50 or median lethal dose (LD50). In the laboratory, the LC50 values of 4% TDS for O. hupensis were 0.701, 0.371 and 0.33 mg/L at 24, 48 and 72 h, respectively, and 4% TDS showed a 1.975 mg/L 24 h LC50 against B. alexandrina, and a 1.396 mg/L 24 h LC50 against B. truncatus. Across all study regions, the pooled mortalities of O. hupensis were 72, 86, 94 and 98% at 1, 2, 3 and 7 d, following field immersion of 4% TDS at a dose of 2.5 g/m3, and were 69, 77, 85 and 88% at 1, 3, 7 and 15 d, following field spraying at 5 g/m2, respectively. 4% TDS had moderate toxicity to Japanese quail (7 d LD50 > 60 mg/kg) and to shrimp (96 h LC50 = 6.28 mg/L; 95% CI: 3.53–11.2 mg/L), whereas its toxicity to zebrafish was high (96 h LC50 = 0.15 mg/L; 95% CI: 0.14–0.17 mg/L). 4% TDS is active against O. hupensis, B. alexandrina and B. truncatus under laboratory and field conditions, and it may be a candidate molluscicide of plant origin.

23 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The results indicated that the herbicides increased alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminolayers (AST) in the haemolymph of B. alexandrina snails and significantly decreased total protein and albumin content.
Abstract: Biomphalaria alexandrina snails have been used as bioindicators for freshwater qaulity and the effects of some herbicides such as butralin, glyphosate-isopropylammonium and pendimethalin). In the p...

20 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Photosynthesizing materials like chlorophyllin were cheap and environmentally safe to replace the synthetic molluscicides for snail control and significantly reduced the acetylcholinesterase activity, protein content, and alkaline and acid phosphatase activity in B. alexandrina nervous tissue compared to the control group.
Abstract: Biomphalaria alexandrina and Lymnaea natalensis snails are the intermediate hosts of schistosomiasis and fasciolosis. The aim of the present study is to evaluate the molluscicidal activity of chlorophyll extract as a photodynamic substance against these snails and how it affected its tissues and the biological system. Chlorophyllin was extracted from deep-frozen Moringa oleifera leaves, and then it was transformed into water-soluble chlorophyllin. The present results showed that it had a molluscicidal activity on B. alexandrina snails (LC50 17.6 mg/l; LC90 20.9 mg/l) and L. natalensis snails (LC50 4.3 mg/l; LC90 6.8 mg/l). Exposing B. alexandrina snails to the sublethal concentrations (LC0, LC10, and LC25) resulted in a significant reduction in their survival rates. Regarding its effect on biochemical parameters, chlorophyllin significantly reduced the acetylcholinesterase activity, protein content, and alkaline and acid phosphatase activity in B. alexandrina nervous tissue compared to the control group. Histopathological changes occurred in the digestive gland of treated B. alexandrina snails where cells lost their nuclei, vacuolated, degenerated, and ruptured, and the lumen increased. Photosynthesizing materials like chlorophyllin are new approaches to control schistosomiasis and fasciolosis in developing countries by affecting their intermediate host. These materials were cheap and environmentally safe to replace the synthetic molluscicides for snail control.

11 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Biomphalaria alexandrina snails may be regarded as a newly discovered source of beneficial compounds through the metabolites produced by their endozoic fungal strains.
Abstract: This work aims at studying Biomphalaria alexandrina snails as a source of bioactive compounds. Adult snails were maintained in plastic, mud and cement matrices. Three groups were prepared; ...

8 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The results revealed that lupine extracts nanoparticles has more effect than copper sulphate nanoparticles on both aquatic or terrestrial snail mortality.
Abstract: Effect of lupine extracts nanoparticles (NPs) coated with copper sulphate on the mortality and eggs productivity of aquatic snails, Biomphalaria alexandrina Ehrenberg and Bulinus truncatus Audouin, and terrestrial snail, Eobania vermiculata Muller, were investigated in comparison with copper sulphate nanoparticles and both treatments compare with untreated group in the present and previous investigation. This experiment was planned to elucidate the molluscicidal properties of lupine extract coated with CuSO4 NPs against adult B. alexandrina B. truncatus and E. vermiculata snails after 24 hours exposure, in dark conditions, followed by another 48 hrs. light for recovery. The results revealed that lupine extracts nanoparticles has more effect than copper sulphate nanoparticles on both aquatic or terrestrial snail mortality. It caused 100% mortality for B. alexandrina and B. truncates, at concentration of 20 ppm, after 24 hours of exposure in dark followed by 48 hours recovery in day light. Copper sulphate nanoparticles at the same concentration caused only 70% and 46. 67% mortality for B. alexandrina and B. truncates, respectively, under the same conditions. Mortality rate increased with the increase of concentrations either in lupine NPs or CuO4 NPs. On normal lupine extract the concentration that caused 100% mortality was equal to ten folds of lupine NPs. Egg productivity of the healthy thirty individuals, of B. alexandrina, B. truncatus and E. vermiculata, were investigated and compared with the survival snails in low concentrations of both Cu NPs and lupine NPs, to study the effect of nanoparticle materials on the snail fecundity. Both lupine extract nanoparticles and copper sulphate nanoparticles may have a sterilized effect, where B. alexandrina and B. truncatus snails exposed to sub lethal doses from them didn’t laid any egg masses after treatment. E. vermiculata, treated or untreated individuals, didn’t laid any eggs either, because it had a specific season of reproduction which not coinciding with the time of experiment

7 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Screening tests were carried out on the action of dried powder of eight algal species against Biomphalaria alexandrina snails, where the most effective powders were from Dictyota dichotoma and Cystoseira barbata with LC50 values of 560 and 2200 ppm, respectively.
Abstract: Controlling the snail intermediate host of schistosomiasis is one of the strategies used to reduce disease incidence. In this study screening tests were carried out on the action of dried powder of...

7 citations



Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Results indicate that B. alexandrina is sensitive to 17β-estradiol and can therefore be used as bioindicator and model organism for the assessment of water pollution with endocrine disruptor compounds.
Abstract: A wide range of endocrine disruptor compounds are routinely discharged to the ecosystem. Water contaminated with these compounds has a potential effect on the reproductive physiology of aquatic organisms as well as humans. In the present study, we tested the effect of the steroid estrogen, 17β-estradiol, on Biomphalaria alexandrina, a snail species that is widely distributed in Egypt and that acts as an intermediate host for the human blood fluke, Schistosoma mansoni. The effects of exposure to 0.3 mg/L and 1 mg/L 17β-estradiol on fecundity (MX) and reproductive rate (R0) of B. alexandrina were recorded. In addition, levels of steroid sex hormones and antioxidants in the hemolymph and ovotestis (OT) of exposed snails were measured. Histopathological changes in the OT of B. alexandrina were also investigated. Exposure to 0.3 mg/L and 1 mg/L 17β-estradiol caused a significant increase in the number of egg masses per snail after 3 weeks and 1 week of exposure for the two tested concentrations compared with unexposed controls. An increase in the levels of progesterone hormone was recorded in the hemolymph of exposed snails in comparison with unexposed controls. Additionally, levels of the antioxidant enzyme glutathione (GSH) were increased in the hemolymph and OT tissues of snails after 2 and 4 weeks of exposure. Histopathological sections in the OT revealed an increase in the oocyte and a decrease in the sperm densities after 2 weeks and this effect was restored to normal conditions after 4 weeks of exposure to both tested concentrations. The current results indicate that B. alexandrina is sensitive to 17β-estradiol and can therefore be used as bioindicator and model organism for the assessment of water pollution with endocrine disruptor compounds.

5 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Identification of neurons that might be responsible for the control of reproduction and growth in Biomphalaria provides an important initial step toward the development of novel methods of disease control and pest management directed toward reducing snail populations.

5 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Results showed fluctuated levels of progesterone, estradiol, and testosterone depending upon the concentration and the temperature, which played a key role in determining the degree of 4-NP toxicity.
Abstract: One of the most common compounds in pesticide formulations, plastics, and papers is 4-nonylphenol (4-NP). It is contained in agricultural, industrial, and wastewater effluents, which when discharged into surface waters affect aquatic fauna. Therefore, the present study aimed to use Biomphalaria alexandrina snails to evaluate the chronic toxicity of 4-NP. Its concentrations in collected water samples from Giza Governorate ranged from 400 to 1600 μg/l. Based on these environmentally relevant concentrations, laboratory experiments were carried out using standard 4-NP to investigate the effect of three concentrations; namely 400, 750, and 1600 μg/l. Survival rate of the exposed snails to 4-NP concentrations was affected after 4 weeks. Reproduction of the exposed snails to 4-NP concentrations was lower than that of the control at 30 °C, while the exposed snails to 400 μg/l of 4-NP showed maximum reproduction at 15 °C. The lowest hatchability percentage was recorded with egg masses laid by the exposed snails to 400 and 1600 μg/l of 4-NP at 15 and 30 °C, respectively. Furthermore, the results showed fluctuated levels of progesterone, estradiol, and testosterone depending upon the concentration and the temperature, which played a key role in determining the degree of 4-NP toxicity.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The lined and unlined water bodies in some governorates in Egypt were studied by Ismail (2009) for information on snail vectors and lining of water canals.
Abstract: One of the environmental modifications for controlling snail vectors is the lining of water canals (Martin, 1997). Ohmae et al. (2003) stated that as measures of snail control, cement-lining of ditches was most effective in Japan. The lined and unlined water bodies in some governorates in Egypt were studied by Ismail (2009) for ARTICLE INFO ABSTRACT Article History: Received: Oct.17, 2019 Accepted: Nov.29, 2019 Online: Dec. 2019 _______________