Exploring the mechanisms underlying the toxicity of boric acid against the land snail, Theba pisana.

Abstract

The land snail, Theba pisana, is one of the most important threats facing agriculture around the globe. Boric acid (BOA) is currently used as a safe alternative molluscicide to control land snails in sustainable agriculture, but the mechanisms of toxicity have not yet been investigated. The present study characterizes the lethal and sub-lethal (0.5 and 1mg g-1 ) toxic effects of BOA-contaminated food for 14 days by examining physiological, biochemical and histopathological indicators in T. pisana to understand the mechanisms underlying its toxic action. BOA was found to be lethal against T. pisana with LC50 values of 24.7 and 8.05 mg g-1 after 3 and 7 days of exposure, respectively. BOA sublethal concentrations led to a significant reduction in food consumption and growth of snails after 14 days of exposure. BOA also caused a significant increase in testosterone levels, whereas an opposite effect was observed in estradiol levels. An increase in progesterone levels in snails in the 0.5mg g-1 BOA group and a decrease in the 1mg g-1 BOA group were observed after all exposure times. Moreover, the lipid peroxidation level and catalase activity were elevated, whereas acetylcholinesterase activity was inhibited in the treated snails. Alteration in glutathione-S-transferase activity was noticed after exposure to both sublethal concentrations. In addition, BOA induced histopathological alterations in the digestive gland of T. pisana. Our findings provide novel insights into how physiological, biochemical and histopathological alterations can be used to explore the mechanisms underlying BOA toxicity against snails. © 2022 Society of Chemical Industry.