Laboratory assessment of molluscicidal activity of crude aqueous and ethanolic extracts of Dalbergia sissoo plant parts against Biomphalaria pfeifferi.
BACKGROUND
In the continued search for molluscicidal compounds from plants, crude aqueous and ethanolic extracts from different parts of Dalbergia sissoo Roxb. 1832, were evaluated against egg masses and adults of Biomphalaria pfeifferi (Krauss, 1848), the snail intermediate host of Schistosoma mansoni (Sambon, 1907) in Nigeria.


METHODS
Laboratory-bred adult B. pfeifferi and their viable 0-24 h old egg masses were separately exposed to five different concentrations (7.81-2000 mg l(-1)) each, of the crude aqueous and ethanolic extracts of the fruits, leaves, roots and stem bark of D. sissoo, for 24 h. The LC50 and LC90 values of each extract for the target organisms were calculated using probit analysis.


RESULTS
Only the ethanolic extracts of the fruits and roots showed significant activities against the adult snails (24 h LC90<100 mg l(-1): 74.33 and 93.93 mg l(-1), respectively) and their egg masses (LC90: 89.29 and 114.29 mg l(-1), respectively) while all other extracts demonstrated weak molluscicidal and ovicidal activities (24 h LC90 > 100 mg l(-1)). There were concentration-dependent behavioural changes in snails exposed to test extracts, while egg mortalities, manifested at the gastrula/exogastrula stage and or the prehatch snail stage of development, were similarly concentration-dependent.


CONCLUSIONS
The crude ethanolic extracts of D. sissoo fruits and roots exhibited promising molluscicidal activities (LC90 values<100 mg l(-1)) against adult B. pfeifferi with additional toxicities towards its 0-24 h-old egg masses.
Department of Plant Science and Applied Zoology, Olabisi Onabanjo University, P.M.B. 2002, Ago-Iwoye, Nigeria. aaadenusi@yahoo.com
Adedotun A
AA
Adenusi
Alexander B
AB
Odaibo
D000818:Animals; D001700:Biomphalaria / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000254:growth & development / Q000469:parasitology; D035782:Dalbergia / Q000737:chemistry*; D004199:Disease Vectors; D000431:Ethanol; D006801:Humans; D008975:Molluscacides / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D009549:Nigeria; D010063:Ovum / Q000187:drug effects; D035261:Plant Components, Aerial / Q000737:chemistry; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D010946:Plants, Medicinal / Q000737:chemistry; D012550:Schistosoma mansoni; D012555:Schistosomiasis mansoni / Q000635:transmission
D008975:Molluscacides; D010936:Plant Extracts; D000431:Ethanol