Cotugnia digonopora: carbohydrate metabolism and effect of anthelmintics on immature worms

Cotugnia digonopora consumes, in 24 hours, glucose equivalent to 38% of its body-weight and converts it into metabolites. The Krebs' cycle is insignificant in the breakdown of glucose because very little CO2 is formed. Ether-extractable acids account for most of the consumed sugar, confirming that metabolism is predominantly anaerobic. Glucose is assimilated as glycogen rather than as nucleic acids, lipids and proteins. Niclosamide, praziquantel and mebendazole strongly inhibit uptake of glucose by the parasite. A considerable increase in the production of lactic acid over that of ether-soluble and volatile acids under the influence of these drugs, suggests a change in the catabolism of sugar towards homolactate fermentation.