Contact toxicity and biochemical impact of metaldehyde against the white garden snail Theba pisana (Müller, 1774)

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Terrestrial snails are one of the most damaging threats to sustainable agriculture. Chemical control using molluscicides is the main approach used to combat these agricultural pests. Metaldehyde is the active ingredient in most snail control products in use. However, its toxicity indices and mode of action have scarcely been investigated. For the first time, we characterized the metaldehyde contact toxicity indices against the white garden snail Theba pisana. The biochemical impact of metaldehyde on acetylcholinesterase (AChE), aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT), alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and glutathione S-transferase (GST) activities and the lipid peroxidation (LPO) level was investigated.

Screening the Efficacy and Safety of Molluscicides from Three Leaf Extracts of Chimonanthus against the Invasive Apple Snail, Pomacea canaliculata

“…A variety of measures have been implemented to control P. canaliculate ; the most prevalent has been the application of chemical molluscicides such as metaldehyde and niclosamide, which are synthetic. Nevertheless, these molluscicides may contaminate the ecosystem and be toxic to other nontarget aquatic organisms [ 10 , 11 ]. Therefore, eco-friendly and safe molluscicides are needed.…”