Effects of diet and larval trematode parasitism on lutein and β-carotene concentrations in planorbid snails as determined by quantitative high performance reversed phase thin layer chromatography

Abstract

High performance thin layer chromatography (HPTLC) was used to quantify the concentrations of β-carotene and lutein in Biomphalaria glabrata and Helisoma trivolvis (Colorado and Pennsylvania strains) snails under various conditions. These conditions were: snails fed a lettuce (L) vs. a yolk (Y) diet; B. glabrata infected with Echinostoma caproni vs. uninfected snails; and H. trivolvis (PA) infected with Echinostoma trivolvis vs. uninfected snails. The pigments were extracted from the snail whole bodies and digestive gland–gonad complexes, separated by reversed phase HPTLC, and quantified by densitometric scanning with standard calibration curves. Snails on the L-diet showed significant increases (Student's t-test, P<0.05) in the concentrations of β-carotene and lutein compared to snails on the Y-diet. Snails infected with echinostomes showed no significant differences (Student's t-test, P>0.05) in the concentrations of lutein and β-carotene compared to the uninfected cohorts. Our results were compared with previous studies that analyzed β-carotene and lutein in snails infected with larval trematodes. Variations in the results of our study compared with others reflect intrinsic differences in the larval trematode–snail systems used.