Behavioural responses of Lymnaea acuminata against apigenin, morusin and quercetin in bait pellets

Abstract

Snail control plays an important role in control of fasciolosis. In order to achieve this objective the method of bait formulation containing an attractant and a molluscicide is an appropriate approach to ensure good levels of contact between the molluscicide and the target snail populations. In the present study bait pellets were prepared by addition of attractants that also act as molluscicide i.e. apigenin, morusin and quercetin (10 mM), derived from Morus nigra bark, leaf and fruit in 2% agar solution. These were used against Lymnaea acuminata , an intermediate host of the digenean trematode Fasciola gigantica . The behavioural response of snails to these attractants (apigenin, morusin and quercetin) was examined. The fraction of snails that were in contact with the bait pellet in zone-3 was used as a measure of attraction process. Apigenin emerged as the strongest attractant (89.1% after 2h) against L. acuminata in comparison to morusin (80.2% after 2h) and quercetin (72.5% after 2h) at 5% concentration in bait. The molluscicidal activity of quercetin (96h LC 50 - 0.59% in bait) was more pronounced than that of morusin (96h LC 50 - 1.01% in bait) and apigenin (96h LC 50 - 1.32% in bait).