Effect of abiotic factors on the molluscicidal activity of oleoresin of Zingiber officinale against the snail Lymnaea acuminata

Abstract

Earlier it has been observed that oleoresin of Zingiber officinale is a potent molluscicide against Lymnaea acuminata. This snail is the vector of Fasciola species, which cause endemic fascioliasis in eastern Uttar Pradesh. As this snail breeds and maintain their population constant through out the year, so that the present study has been designed to find out the effect of variations in some environmental factors in different seasons, on the molluscicidal activity of oleoresin of Zingiber officinale and its relative effect on certain enzymes viz., acetylcholinesterase, acid and alkaline phosphatases in the nervous tissue of the snail Lymnaea acuminata. In this study temperature, pH, dissolve oxygen, free carbon dioxide, conductivity of the water in control, as well as molluscicide treated water, was measured simultaneously. LC 50 value of oleoresin was determined in each month of the year. Toxicity of oleoresin in June-July (24 h LC 50 16.54-14.28 mgL -1 ) is highest. Acetylcholinesterase, acid and alkaline phosphatases activity in the nervous tissue of the snails treated with sub-lethal concentration of oleoresin was simultaneously measured. Sig-nificant positive rank correlation, in between the acetylcholinesterase or acid phosphatase activity and LC 50 of oleoresin was observed. The pre-sent study conclusively shows that variant abi-otic factors can significantly alter the toxicity of oleoresin of Z. officinale in L. acuminata. The most suitable period for control of L. acuminata is June-July.

Effects of temperature on the life history traits of intermediate host snails of fascioliasis: A systematic review

“…The reproduction rate was high at 24°C for Pseudosuccinea columella , and this was also observed to tolerate cooler, warmer, and desert temperatures [ 66 ]. However, it was observed that the reproduction rate of Radix acuminata in the tropics occurred optimally at a temperature range of 16–34°C [ 39 , 40 ]. Furthermore, Aziz [ 42 ] and Misra [ 41 ] found that the reproduction rate of Radix luteola (Lamarck) and Radix acuminata , respectively, was higher at lower temperature ranges of 15–20°C.…”