Toxicological and Biochemical Activity of Five Plant Extracts Assayed Against Aquatic Vectors of Diseases, Culex pipiens and The Snail, Lymnaea natalensis

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

Department of Entomology, Faculty of Science, Ain Shams University, 11566, Abbassia, Cairo, Egypt

Abstract

A global health agenda that gives main concern to vector control could save many lives and avoid much suffering. Cost-effective and simple interventions like the extracts of the plants Rosmarinus officinalisSorghum bicolor, Ambrosia maritime (Damsissa), Callistemon citrinus (lanceolatus) and Eucalyptus globulus were tested in the present study against two aquatic vectors of disease Culex pipiens larvae and the snail lymnaea natalensis, the five plant extracts showed lethal effects against both vectorsCx. pipiens larvae which showed high susceptibility to Sorghum bicolor extract LC50 184.37 ppm ± 24.02 ppm while the high susceptibility of L. natalensis snail was recorded toward Ambrosia extract LC50 =7.65 ± 1.89 ppm. The activities of the enzymes GST, GOT and ALT as well as the total proteins, carbohydrates, and lipids of Cx. pipiens larvae and the snail L. natalensis were significantly changed compared to the untreated samples. With the presence of some exceptions, most tested plant extracts generally increased GST and GOT activity in both vectors while a significant increase and decrease in the activity of ALT was reported in Cx. pipiens and L. natalensis respectively in most plant extracts. Also, the obtained results indicated that the total protein and carbohydrate contents in both Cx. pipiens larvae and the snail L. natalensis were significantly decreased with all tested plant extracts which are more obvious in L. natalensis. A slight increase in total lipid except for Rosmarinus officinalis which doesn’t induce any change in both of them. Based on these alterations, it could be concluded that the studied plant extracts have insecticidal and molluscicidal effects on both Cx. pipiens larvae and L. natalensis respectively.

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