LABORATORY EVALUATION OF THE MOLLUSCICIDAL, MIRACIDICIDAL AND CERCARICIDAL PROPERTIES OF TWO EGYPTIAN PLANTS

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Theodor Bilharz Research Institute, Warrak El-Hadar, Giza, Egypt

Abstract

Screening the aqueous suspensions of the dry powders of 50 Egyptian plants against Biomphalaria alexandrina snails, the intermediate host of Schistosoma mansoni in Egypt, revealed that the fruits of Sapindus saponaria Burm. (Family Sapindaceae) as well as the leaves and stems of Buddleia asiatica Lour. (Family Loganiaceae) have high molluscicidal activities (LC90= 90 and 180 ppm for the two plants respectively) after 24 hours exposure times. Also, the petroleum ether, benzene, chloroform, ethyl acetate, acetone and methanol extracts of each plant were separately tested against the same snail species. Results showed that methanol, acetone, ethyl acetate and chloroform extracts of S. saponaria have activities whereas only the methanol extract of B. asiatica was active. Different ages of snails showed variable susceptibility towards the methanol extracts of both plants. Phytochemical investigation of the two plants was carried out and revealed that saponins are the major constituents in both plants so it may be responsible for the molluscicidal effectiveness of the two plants. To confirm this conclusion, the crude saponins of each of the two plants were prepared and they recorded very strong potency against B. alexandrina at 19 and 11 ppm. Also, the larvicidal potencies of the methanolic extract of each plant was tested against S. mansoni cercariae and miracidia. B. asiatica extract was lethal to both larvae at 90 ppm while 45 ppm of S. saponaria was not larvicidal at this concentration. However none of the methanol extracts of the two plants inhibited the hatchability of S. mansoni ova. Now, the two plants will be submitted to different chromatographic techniques to separate their active ingredients.