Toxicity of some glucose/mannose-binding lectins to Biomphalaria glabrata and Artemia salina.
Schistosomiasis or bilharzia, which affects millions of people living in Africa, Asia and Latin America, is closely associated with certain species of aquatic snails. One way of attacking the disease is to eradicate the host snails. Molluscicidal activities of natural compounds are especially important in the widespread control of this tropical disease. As part of our search for natural compounds with molluscicidal properties for the vector control of schistosomiasis, we are now evaluating for the first time the toxicity of the plant lectins from Canavalia brasiliensis (ConBr), Cratylia floribunda (CFL), Dioclea guianensis (Dgui), Dioclea grandiflora (DGL) and Dioclea virgata (Dvir) to Biomphalaria glabrata Say and Artemia salina Leach. Results indicate that all the samples were toxic to A. salina Leach, some of them with values of lethal concentration that kills 90% of the population (LC(90))<10 microg mL(-1). They are also active against B. glabrata Say, killing 100% of adult snails, at a concentration of 50 microg mL(-1). The lectins CFL and Dgui possess properties lethal to mollusks, with values of LC(90)=50.3 microg mL(-1) and LC(90)=41.0 microg mL(-1), respectively.
dos Santos
Aldenir Feitosa
AF
Instituto de Química e Biotecnologia, Universidade Federal de Alagoas, 57092-970 Maceió, AL, Brazil.
Cavada
Benildo Sousa
BS
da Rocha
Bruno Anderson Matias
BA
do Nascimento
Kyria Santiago
KS
Sant'Ana
Antônio Euzébio Goulart
AE
D000818:Animals; D001156:Artemia / Q000378:metabolism*; D001700:Biomphalaria / Q000378:metabolism*; D005947:Glucose / Q000378:metabolism*; D037102:Lectins / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism / Q000633:toxicity*; D008358:Mannose / Q000378:metabolism*
D037102:Lectins; D005947:Glucose; D008358:Mannose