Effect of lupine extracts nanoparticles (NPs) coated with copper sulphate on the mortality and eggs productivity of aquatic snails, Biomphalaria alexandrina Ehrenberg and Bulinus truncatus Audouin, and terrestrial snail, Eobania vermiculata Müller, were investigated in comparison with copper sulphate nanoparticles and both treatments compare with untreated group in the present and previous investigation.
This experiment was planned to elucidate the molluscicidal properties of lupine extract coated with CuSO4 NPs against adult B. alexandrina B. truncatus and E. vermiculata snails after 24 hours exposure, in dark conditions, followed by another 48 hrs. light for recovery.
The results revealed that lupine extracts nanoparticles has more effect than copper sulphate nanoparticles on both aquatic or terrestrial snail mortality. It caused 100% mortality for B. alexandrina and B. truncates, at concentration of 20 ppm, after 24 hours of exposure in dark followed by 48 hours recovery in day light. Copper sulphate nanoparticles at the same concentration caused only 70% and 46. 67% mortality for B. alexandrina and B. truncates, respectively, under the same conditions. Mortality rate increased with the increase of concentrations either in lupine NPs or CuO4 NPs. On normal lupine extract the concentration that caused 100% mortality was equal to ten folds of lupine NPs.
Egg productivity of the healthy thirty individuals, of B. alexandrina, B. truncatus and E. vermiculata, were investigated and compared with the survival snails in low concentrations of both Cu NPs and lupine NPs, to study the effect of nanoparticle materials on the snail fecundity.
Both lupine extract nanoparticles and copper sulphate nanoparticles may have a sterilized effect, where B. alexandrina and B. truncatus snails exposed to sub lethal doses from them didn't laid any egg masses after treatment. E. vermiculata, treated or untreated individuals, didn't laid any eggs either, because it had a specific season of reproduction which not coinciding with the time of experiment