Impact of methomyl lannate on physiological parameters of the land snail Eobania vermiculata

Abstract

The methomyl lannate is a carbamate pesticide, which is widely used and has known toxic effects on non-target organisms including land snails. This research investigated the acute and sublethal effects of lannate on land snail Eobania vermiculata. LD₅₀ value (102.32 μg snail⁻¹) of lannate was determined 48 h following topical application. Some biomarkers such as acetylcholinesterase (AChE), aspartate transaminase (AST), alanine transaminase (ALT), alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) as well as micronuclei (MN) and bi-nucleated cells (BN) were detected following 14-d topical exposure to sublethal doses 5.53, 21.32 and 53.30 μg snail⁻¹. The results showed that AChE inhibition in the cerebral ganglia was higher than that in the foot muscle. With the exception of ALP, a significant induction in hemolymph enzymes was detected in the snails exposed to 21.32 and 53.30 μg snail⁻¹. Also, the results showed that (MN) frequencies of lannate treated snails were ∼3-, 4- and 6-fold that of the control in the snail exposed to 5.53, 21.32 and 53.30 μg snail⁻¹, respectively. The observed changes in these biomarkers may provide useful information regarding environmental conditions and risk assessments of terrestrial organisms.