Molluscicidal activity of Nerium indicum Mill, Pterocarya stenoptera DC, and Rumex japonicum houtt on Oncomelania hupensis.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the molluscicidal activities of three Chinese plants N. indicum Mill, R stenoptera DC, and R. japonicum Houtt, and to clarify the molluscicidal mechanism.


METHODS
N-butanol extracts and water extracts of the three plants were obtained. The reactions of EST isozyme, glycogen and total protein of snails to the plant extracts were studied.


RESULTS
EST electrophoresis showed that EST was an important antidotal enzyme system and reacted strongly to environment. EST changed greatly during the whole exposure period so that it could be viewed as a pathological index of toxicity. Extracts decreased the glycogen content of the snails' soft tissues greatly, and also the protein content.


CONCLUSIONS
All extracts show strong molluscicidal activity. The LD50 value of the water extract of N. indicum Mill is as low as 13.2 mg/L. EST can be viewed as a pathological index of toxicity. The energy metabolism abnormity is the key reason for the molluscicidal activities. The biochemical mechanism needs further research.
Wang
Hong
H
School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Shanghai Jiaotong University, Shanghai 200240, China. hwang_cn@sjtu.edu.cn
Cai
Wei-Min
WM
Wang
Wan-Xian
WX
Yang
Jian-Min
JM
D000818:Animals; D004591:Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; D004950:Esterases / Q000378:metabolism; D006003:Glycogen / Q000378:metabolism; D007527:Isoenzymes / Q000378:metabolism; D029525:Juglandaceae / Q000737:chemistry / Q000633:toxicity*; D008975:Molluscacides / Q000633:toxicity*; D030007:Nerium / Q000737:chemistry / Q000633:toxicity*; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000737:chemistry / Q000633:toxicity; D031804:Rumex / Q000737:chemistry / Q000633:toxicity*; D012908:Snails / Q000187:drug effects*
D007527:Isoenzymes; D008975:Molluscacides; D010936:Plant Extracts; D006003:Glycogen; D004950:Esterases