Toxicity of some glucose/mannose-binding lectins to Biomphalaria glabrata and Artemia salina

• Published in: Bioresource technology 2010, Vol.101 (2), p.794-798
• Main Authors: Santos, Aldenir Feitosa dos, Cavada, Benildo Sousa, Rocha, Bruno Anderson Matias da, Nascimento, Kyria Santiago do, Sant’Ana, Antônio Euzébio Goulart
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animals; Artemia - metabolism; Artemia salina; bioassays; Biological and medical sciences; Biomphalaria - metabolism; Biomphalaria glabrata; Canavalia; Canavalia brasiliensis; Cratylia; Cratylia floribunda; Dioclea; Dioclea grandiflora; Dioclea guianensis; Dioclea virgata; disease control; disease vectors; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Glucose - metabolism; Lectins; Lectins - isolation & purification; Lectins - metabolism; Lectins - toxicity; Mannose - metabolism; Marine; Mollusca; Molluscicidal; molluscicidal properties; physicochemical properties; Schistosoma; schistosomiasis; Toxicity; toxicity testing
• ISSN: 0960-8524; 1873-2976
• DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2009.07.062

Schistosomiasis or bilharzia, which affects millions of people living in Africa, Asia and Latin America, is closely associated with certain species of aquatic snails. One way of attacking the disease is to eradicate the host snails. Molluscicidal activities of natural compounds are especially important in the widespread control of this tropical disease. As part of our search for natural compounds with molluscicidal properties for the vector control of schistosomiasis, we are now evaluating for the first time the toxicity of the plant lectins from Canavalia brasiliensis (ConBr), Cratylia floribunda (CFL), Dioclea guianensis (Dgui), Dioclea grandiflora (DGL) and Dioclea virgata (Dvir) to Biomphalaria glabrata Say and Artemia salina Leach. Results indicate that all the samples were toxic to A. salina Leach, some of them with values of lethal concentration that kills 90% of the population (LC 90) < 10 μg mL −1. They are also active against B. glabrata Say, killing 100% of adult snails, at a concentration of 50 μg mL −1. The lectins CFL and Dgui possess properties lethal to mollusks, with values of LC 90 = 50.3 μg mL −1 and LC 90 = 41.0 μg mL −1, respectively.