Nematicidal Activity of Inorganic Food Additives

Abstract

The food industry is not the only sphere of human activity where inorganic food additives are globally used. In certain concentrations, they are safe for people and agricultural animals. Nonetheless, they impose a negative impact on other classes of living organisms. Therefore, our objective was to determinine the influence of some inorganic food additives (alkalis, acids, salts) on the vitality of nematode larvae that parasitize agricultural animals: Strongyloides papillosus, Haemonchus contortus and Muellerius capillaris. We studied the effects of sodium hydroxide, potassium hydroxide, boric acid, phosphoric acid, potassium chloride, calcium chloride, sodium nitrite, potassium nitrite, sodium nitrate, potassium nitrate, ammonium bicarbonate, sodium bisulfite, sodium bisulfate, sodium sulfate, potassium sulfate, calcium sulfate, sodium thiosulfate, sodium metabisulfite, potassium metabisulfite, copper sulfate pentahydrate, tetrasodium pyrophosphate, sodium triphosphate, sodium borate decahydrate and talc. In in vitro experiments, the strongest effects were produced by alkalis sodium hydroxide and potassium hydroxide. In 24 h, 1% solutions of those substances killed 69% of larvae of S. papillosus, H. contortus and M. capillaris of various development stages. Sodium sulfate was effective against all stages of larvae of S. papillosus, and also against first-age M. capillaris. Nematocidal properties only against all stages of S. papillosus were exerted by copper sulfate pentahydrate. Non-invasive stages of S. papillosus nematodes were affected only by phosphoric acid, ammonium bicarbonate, calcium chloride, sodium nitrite, calcium sulfate, potassium metabisulfite, tetrasodium pyrophosphate, sodium triphosphate and the same stages of M. capillaris—by phosphoric acid, sodium bisulfite and potassium nitrite.