Activities of pumpkin seed oil against Biomphalaria alexandrina snails and the infective stages of Schistosoma mansoni with special emphasis on genotoxic and histopathological alterations

Bibliographic Information
Authors: Mohammed S.E.; Mossalem H.S.; Gad El-Karim R.M.; Morsy A.T.; Ammar A.M.
Journal: Journal of Helminthology
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Publication Date: 21 March 2024
Volume / Issue: Volume 98
Article No.: e25
ISSN: 0022149X
DOI: 10.1017/S0022149X24000166
Scopus: View on Scopus
PubMed: 38509855
Document Type: Article
Authors and Affiliations
Mohammed S.E., Medical Parasitology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt; Mossalem H.S., Environmental Research and Medical Malacology Division, Theodore Bilharz Research Institute, Imbaba, Giza, Egypt; Gad El-Karim R.M., Environmental Research and Medical Malacology Division, Theodore Bilharz Research Institute, Imbaba, Giza, Egypt; Morsy A.T., Respiratory Care Technology Department, Faculty of Applied Health Science Technology, Misr University for Science and Technology, Giza, Egypt; Ammar A.M., Medical Parasitology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt
Abstract
Schistosomiasis is a serious health issue in tropical regions, and natural compounds have gained popularity in medical science. This study investigated the potential effects of pumpkin seed oil (PSO) on Biomphalaria [B.] alexandrina snails (Ehrenberg, 1831), Schistosoma [S.] mansoni (Sambon, 1907) miracidium, and cercariae. The chemical composition of PSO was determined using gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. A bioassay was performed to evaluate the effects of PSO on snails, miracidia, and cercariae. The results showed no significant mortality of B. alexandrina snails after exposure to PSO, but it caused morphological changes in their hemocytes at 1.0 mg/ml for 24 hours. PSO exhibited larvicidal activity against miracidia after 2 hours of exposure at a LC50 of 618.4 ppm. A significant increase in the mortality rate of miracidia was observed in a dose- and time-dependent manner, reaching a 100% death rate after 10 minutes at LC90 and 15 minutes at LC50 concentration. PSO also showed effective cercaricidal activity after 2 hours of exposure at a LC50 of 290.5 ppm. Histological examination revealed multiple pathological changes in the digestive and hermaphrodite glands. The PSO had genotoxic effects on snails, which exhibited a significant increase [p≤0.05] in comet parameters compared to the control. The findings suggest that PSO has potential as a molluscicide, miracidicide, and cercaricide, making it a possible alternative to traditional molluscicides in controlling schistosomiasis. © The Author(s), 2024. Published by Cambridge University Press.
Keywords
Biomphalaria alexandrina snails; comet assay; molluscicide; pumpkin seed oil; Schistosoma mansoni; Animals; Biomphalaria; Cercaria; Cucurbita; Molluscacides; Plant Oils; Schistosomiasis; Snails; larvicidal agent; molluscacide; vegetable oil; adult; animal cell; animal experiment; animal tissue; Article; bioassay; Biomphalaria alexandrina; blood cell; chemical composition; comet parameters; controlled study; DNA damage; drug isolation; genotoxicity; hermaphrodite; histopathology; larvicidal activity; LC50; mass fragmentography; miracidium; molluscicidal activity; mortality; mortality rate; nonhuman; scanning electron microscopy; snail; squash; animal
Citation Information
Scopus Citations: 1
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