title: Praziquantel efficacy against Brachylaima sp. metacercariae (Trematoda: Brachylaimidae) parasitizing the edible landsnail Cornu aspersum and its HPLC-MS/MS residue determination.
abstract: Cornu aspersum is a terrestrial edible snail, often parasitized by Brachylaima (Trematoda) metacercariae. Ingestion of undercooked snails by humans allows metacercariae to develop to adult in the intestine causing brachylaimiasis (expected mortality rate 5-10%). The cosmopolitan character of the trematode and of its vector, enhanced in a future climate change scenario, and the absence of adequate sanitary controls of the snails in marketplaces clearly increase the risk of human brachylaimiasis. The treatment of farmed snails with praziquatel (PZQ) would be a tool to control this food-borne disease. The objectives of this study were: to report the prevalence of Brachylaima metacercariae parasitizing C. aspersum in marketplaces, to assess the efficacy and tolerance of PZQ in C. aspersum and to develop an HPLC-MS/MS analytical method to quantify PZQ residue in the edible snail (the acceptable daily intake of PZQ is 0.17 mg/kg bw in humans). Prevalence of parasitization of C. aspersum by Brachylaima metacercariae in public marketplaces reached the 80%. PZQ was orally administered to snails, mixed with the usual snail food. In dose determination assays three doses were individually tested (10 days): 1.2 mg PZQ/snail, 1.8 mg PZQ/snail (efficacy 97.3%, p < 0.001) and 2.4 mg PZQ/snail (efficacy 98.7%, p < 0.001). In dose confirmation tests (n = 200) the 2.4 mg PZQ/snail dose was group tested (10 snails/box, 7 days): 2 g of PZQ supplemented snail food were disposed daily in the treatment group boxes and 2 g of snail food (placebo) in the control boxes (efficacy 94.6%, p < 0.001; prevalence dropped from 68.7% in control group to 10.1% in treatment group, p < 0.001). Received dose was 220.2 mg PZQ/kg snail with shell. In the analytical method, linearity, lower limit of quantification (0.05 μg/ml), selectivity, carry over, accuracy, precision, dilution integrity, matrix effect and stability were tested. Sixty snails were treated (11 mg PZQ/g snail food) and analyzed. PZQ was detected and quantified (0.093 mg PZQ/g snail). PZQ treatment of C. aspersum is effective, well tolerated by the snail, affordable and easy to reproduce in snail farms.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Parasitology, Department of Health Microbiology and Parasitology, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Barcelona, Av. Joan XXIII s/n, 08028 Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Laia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Gállego
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Parasitology, Department of Health Microbiology and Parasitology, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Barcelona, Av. Joan XXIII s/n, 08028 Barcelona, Spain. Electronic address: gracenea@ub.edu.
authors.forename: Mercedes
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gracenea
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000871:Anthelmintics / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002138:Calibration; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D006372:Helix, Snails / Q000469:parasitology*; D011223:Praziquantel / Q000494:pharmacology*; D015995:Prevalence; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D012758:Shellfish / Q000469:parasitology*; D053719:Tandem Mass Spectrometry; D014200:Trematoda / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000302:isolation & purification
chemical_list: D000871:Anthelmintics; D011223:Praziquantel
keywords: Brachylaima; Brachylaimiasis; Cornu aspersum; Efficacy; HPLC-MS/MS; Praziquantel