Effect of three dormant oils on schistosomiasis and fascioliasis vector snails and its relation with some non-target...

Three oils were tested for their molluscicidal activity, Caple-2, Kemasol and Super-max. Super-max had the strongest toxic effect on B. alexandrina and other snail species. Its LC50 was 0.53 ppm, meanwhile LC50 of Kemasol 3.2 ppm and 4.21 ppm for Caple 2. The LC50 & LC90 of the oils were lower in Lymneae natalensis as compared to B. alexandrina. The LC50 & LC90 of the oils against non-target snails (Physa acuta, Helisoma duryi, Planorbis planorbis and Melanoides tuberculata) were higher as compared to B. alexandrina. Hatchability of snails' eggs exposed to Super-max (3.0 & 5.0 ppm) was stopped completely and l.0 ppm showed the lower percent of egg hatchability 22.7 %. Caple 2 and Kemasol did not affect eggs hatchability. Supermax had the strongest harmful effect on both miracidia and cercariae of S. mansoni. 100% mortality values were obtained for both larval stages after 8 & 9 minutes respectively when maintained at LC50. 100% mortality of miracidia occurred after 35 & 155 minutes when maintained at LC50 of Kemasol & Caple 2 respectively. The infection rate of B. alexandrina with S. mansoni miracidia was greatly reduced by the sublethal concentrations of the oils. The reduction of infection rate was higher in snails treated with Supermax (42.9%). A highly significant reduction of total cercarial production per snail was in the experimental groups as compared with controls. The prepatent period of treated snails was prolonged compared to control. Moreover, Total protein content and enzyme activities of snails treated with LC10 of oils showed a significant reduction as compared with control in haemolymyph. There was an increase of protein contents in the tissue. AlkP enzyme activity was slightly increased in haemolymph of experimental groups than controls and was significantly higher in the tissues as compared to control. ALT enzyme activity in haemolymph of experimental groups was higher than control, but lower in tissue. AST enzyme activity was higher in haemolymph and tissue of experimental groups than controls. The SDS-PAGE pattern of tissue soluble proteins extracted from treated B. alexandrina and controls showed different oils effects on the synthesis of protein within snails yielded a complex pattern of polypeptides ranging in molecular weight between 13.775 to 156.7 kDa. Many bands were present in treated snails. At least, one band was detected for snails treated with each of the oils and not in controls. The difference in the similarity indices between treatment and control; for Kemasol was 0.86 & 0.64, for Caple 2 was 0.61 & 0.55 and for Supermax was 0.64 & 0.86. LC25 of Supermax did not cause any mortality to Daphnia after 6 hr. But, LC50 & LC90 caused lower mortality after 6 hr. Kemasol caused 100% mortality after 4 hr at LC50 and 2 hr in LC90. Caple 2 caused 50% mortality of Daphnia after 5 hr at LC25 &100% mortality after 30 minutes in LC50 & LC90.