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Millettia thonningii molluscicide: A rapid knockdown cercaricide for schistosome cercariae
Author(s) -
Squire Barbara J.,
Whitfield Philip J.
Publication year - 1989
Publication title -
phytotherapy research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.019
H-Index - 129
eISSN - 1099-1573
pISSN - 0951-418X
DOI - 10.1002/ptr.2650030310
Subject(s) - molluscicide , traditional medicine , schistosoma mansoni , schistosomiasis , biology , toxicology , snail , toxicity , chemistry , medicine , helminths , ecology , immunology , organic chemistry
Suspensions of ground seed material from the West African legume, Millettia thonningii , have previously been shown to be molluscicidal to schistosome‐transmitting snails and thus potentially useful as a control agent for schistosomiasis. It is demonstrated here that Millettia seed suspensions, in addition to their molluscicidal action, show considerable toxicity towards the infective cercarial stage of Schistosoma mansoni , a causative agent of human intestinal schistosomiasis. This toxicity consists of a rapid knockdown effect on the cercariae, producing unresponsive immobility in times from 11 to 42 min in a concentration range from 500 to 100 parts per million. Filtering reduced the speed of this effect. Cercaricidal activity of the suspensions is also demonstrated in a range of unfiltered suspension concentrations, with 100% mortality occurring from 120 to 310 min after exposure. This potent action will add to the potential effectiveness of a Millettia molluscicide preparation when used as a control agent for schistosomiasis.