Insights into biological, immunological, biochemical and ultra-histopathological perturbations as biomarkers to Fluroxypyr-1-methylheptyl ester pollution in freshwater snail, Biomphalaria alexandrina

Theodor Bilharz Research Institute

Bibliographic Information

Authors: Ibrahim A.M.; Wang C.; Al-olayan E.; Abdel-Tawab H.

Journal: Ecotoxicology

Publisher: Springer

Publication Date: 5 May 2025

Volume / Issue: Volume 34 / Issue 6

Pages: 1020–1035

ISSN: 9639292

DOI: 10.1007/s10646-025-02871-2

Scopus: View on Scopus

PubMed: 40323489

Document Type: Article

Authors and Affiliations

Ibrahim A.M., Medical Malacology Department, Theodor Bilharz Research Institute, Giza, Egypt; Wang C., School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Shaanxi University of Science and Technology, Xi’an, China; Al-olayan E., Department of Zoology, College of Science, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; Abdel-Tawab H., Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Beni-Suef University, Beni-Suef, Egypt

Abstract

Biomphalaria alexandrina snails are good invertebrate models for evaluating the chemical toxicity in freshwater habitats. Fluroxypyr-1-methylheptylester (FPMH) is a broad-spectrum herbicide that can find its way to watercourses through effluent. The present work aims to use B. alexandrina as a bio-model to evaluate the toxic effects of FPMH. The present results showed that FPMH has LC50 of 20.7 mg/L after 24 h of semi-static exposure against B. alexandrina snails. After exposure to the sublethal concentrations of FPMH (LC10 and LC25), there were significant (P ≤ 0.05) decreases in survival, reproductive rates and fecundity of adult B. alexandrina snails. Also, there were immunotoxic effects reflected in a significant decrease (P ≤ 0.05) in the total hemocyte count, an increase in the phagocytic index, the percentage of phagocytic hemocytes by flow cytometry and some morphological alterations in the hemocytes. Where hyalinocytes showed abnormalities to in their outer membrane, other cells had degraded or shrunk nuclei according to nucleus/cytoplasm (N/C) ratio. Granulocytes formed pseudopodia and the number of granules increased. These concentrations resulted in significant decreases (P ≤ 0.05; 0.01) in SOD, CAT, Alkaline phosphatase, protein and GSH levels, while increasing GST levels, IL-2 and caspase-3 activity compared to the control group. Also, digestive gland ultrastructural damage occurred after exposure of B. alexandrina snail. Therefore, the study revealed significant adverse effects of FPMH on B. alexandrina snails, highlighted the potential ecological risks of FPMH pollution in freshwater habitats, and demonstrated the use of B. alexandrina as a bioindicator of FPMH pollution in the aquatic ecosystem. © The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature 2025.

Keywords

Biochemical alterations; Freshwater snails; Hemocytes; Herbicides; Histopathology; Oxidative stress parameters; Animals; Biomarkers; Biomphalaria; Environmental Monitoring; Fresh Water; Water Pollutants, Chemical; alkaline phosphatase; caspase 3; catalase; fluroxypyr 1 methylheptylester; glutathione; glutathione transferase; herbicide; interleukin 2; superoxide dismutase; unclassified drug; biological marker; biochemistry; bioindicator; biomarker; chemical pollutant; fecundity; oxidative stress; snail; survival; adult; animal cell; animal experiment; animal tissue; aquatic environment; Article; biochemical analysis; biological functions; Biomphalaria alexandrina; blood cell count; cell nucleus; cell structure; controlled study; cytoplasm; environmental exposure; enzyme activity; exocrine gland; fertility; flow cytometry; granulocyte; habitat; immunological parameters; immunotoxicity; LC10; LC50; nonhuman; outer membrane; phagocytic index; pseudopodium; reproduction; sublethal concentration; survival rate; water pollution; animal; drug effect; metabolism; physiology; procedures; toxicity; water pollutant

Citation Information

Scopus Citations: 1

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