Planta Med 2014; 80 - P2B49
DOI: 10.1055/s-0034-1394926

Activity of Anethum graveolens, Foeniculum vulgare, Petroselinum crispum and Cuminum cyminum essential oils and volatile compounds against the freshwater snail Radix peregra (Lymnaeae)

RM Sousa 1, JS Rosa 2, A Cunha 1, M Fernandes-Ferreira 1, 3, 4
  • 1CITAB, Centro de Investigação e Tecnologias Agroambientais e Biológicas, pólo UMinho, Departamento de Biologia, Universidade do Minho, Campus Gualtar, 4710 – 057 Braga, Portugal
  • 2CIBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, InBIO Laboratório Associado, Pólo dos Açores, Departamento de Biologia da Universidade dos Açores, Rua da Mãe de Deus, 9501 – 801 Ponta Delgada, Portugal
  • 3Departamento de Biologia, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade do Porto, Rua do Campo Alegre s/n, 4169 – 007 Porto, Portugal
  • 4Mapprod Lda, Rua António de Mariz, 22, 4715 – 279 Braga, Portugal

As intermediate hosts of trematodes (Digenea: Trematoda), freshwater snails (Gastropoda: Lymnaeae) play a crucial role in transmission of fascioliasis and other trematodiases of major medical and veterinary relevance [1]. Radix peregra Müller (1774) is a European freshwater snail, identified as a susceptible and alternative intermediate host of Fasciola hepatica, causing agent of fascioliasis [2]. In the present work the molluscicidal activity of essential oils (EOs) and major volatile compounds from four Apiaceae were evaluated against R. peregra through immersion method [3]. Anethum graveolens (dill), Foeniculum vulgare var. vulgare (bitter fennel), Petroselinum crispum (parsley) and Cuminum cyminum (cumin) EOs were characterized by Gas Chromatography (GC) and GC coupled to Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS). A single dose screening was first conducted with eight EOs and 11 compounds against juveniles (10 mg L-1) and adults (50 mg L-1) and mortality were recorded after 48h, including a 24h period of recovery. Additionally, adult snails were submitted to a continuous exposure (50 mg L-1), to assess the time-related lethality of the most active treatments. The time required to cause 50% and 90% of mortality (LT50 and LT90, respectively) was determined by log probit analysis [4]. For both assays copper sulphate was used as a positive control. The EOs activities against R. peregra juveniles and adults were superior to those of the respective main compounds, after 48h. EOs and compounds displayed acute toxicity against adults through time (50% of death after 15 to 27h of exposure to 50 mg L-1). In terms of time-effectiveness, the cumin fruits EO was the most active treatment (LT50 and LT90 of 15.1 and 21.6h, respectively).

Fig. 1: Lethality of four Apiaceae essential oils and 11 pure constituents on Radix peregra (A) juveniles (at 10 mg L-1) and (B) adults (50 mg L-1) after 48h of exposure, inducing a 24h recovering period. Fv: Foeniculum vulgare; Ag: Anethum graveolens; Pc: Petroselinum crispum; Cc: Cuminum cyminum; I: Infrutescences; L+S: Leaves and stems; F: Fruits.

Our results showed that bitter fennel, parsley and cumin EOs, trans-anethole, estragole, cuminaldehyde, (-)-β-pinene and γ-terpinene have high potential as biomolluscicides.

Keywords: Radix peregra, bitter fennel, dill, parsley, cumin

References:

[1] Mas-Coma S, Bargues MD, Valero MA. Fascioliasis and other plant-borne trematode zoonose. Int Parasitol 2005; 35: 1255 – 1278.

[2] Relf V, Good B, McCarthy E, de Waal T. Evidence of Fasciola hepatica infection in Radix peregra and a mollusck of the family Succineidae in Ireland. Vet Parasitol 2009; 163: 152 – 155.

[3] World Health Organization. Report of the Scientific working Group on Plant Molluscicide & Guidelines for evaluation of plant molluscicides. Geneva: WHO TDRSCHSWE 1983 (4)/83.3.

[4] Litchfield JT Jr, Wilcoxon F. A simplified method of evaluating dose-effect experiments. J Pharmacol Exp Ther 1949; 96(2): 99 – 113.