Effect of Uscharin on the Reproduction of the Snail Lymnaea Acuminata

Fascioliasis is a major cause of mortality and morbidity in the northern part of India. The causative organisms; Fasciola hepatica Linnaeus and Fasciola gigantica Cobbold spread via their vectors, the fresh water snails. Control of vector can help to control the disease. The snail Lymnaea acuminate breeds through out the year and the synthetic pesticides used to control the population of snail disturb the delicate ecological balance of the freshwater system. Degradable plant based pesticides can help to find an answer to this problem. An attempt was carried out to explore the toxic effect of Uscharin, an active compound extracted from plant the latex of Calotropis procera on the reproduction of the snail . Results revealed that Uscharin extracted from C. procera can be used to control harmful snails, as it significantly controls reproduction of these snails. The active compound of plant reduces fecundity, prolongs hatchability period and reduces survival of the newly hatched snails in a snail population, when exposed to a concentration lower than LC . Biochemical 50 analysis revealed significant decreases in protein, amino acid, DNA, RNA and glycogen level in the ovotestis of the snail exposed to sub lethal concentration of uscharin.