Molluscicidal activity and physiological toxicity of Macleaya cordata alkaloids components on snail Oncomelania hupensis.

In order to search new local plant molluscicides for the control of the vectors of schistosomiasis, leaves of Macleaya cordata (Willd) R. Br. were used to extract and separate alkaloid components by thinner acid method and column chromatography, and the molluscicidal effect of alkaloid components against snail Oncomelania hupensis was determined by bioassay. The results showed that 7 alkaloid components (AN1-7) were obtained after extracting and separating alkaloids from the leaves of M. cordata, where AN2 was found being the most toxic against snail O. hupensis with 48h LC and LC values of AN2 of 6.35mg/L and 121.23mg/L, respectively. Responses of some critical enzymes to AN2, including activities of Alkaline phosphatase (ALP), Alanine aminotransferase (ALT), Aspartate transaminase (AST), Malic dehydrogenase (MDH) and Succinate dehydrogenase (SDH) in both cephalopodium and liver, were also detected through experiments, which also explored esterase isozyme (EST) exposed to AN2 in liver tissue. The results showed that AN2 significantly inhibited the activities of SDH, MDH and esterase isozyme, as AN2 significantly stimulated the activities of ALP, ALT and AST to increase at a low concentration (e.g. 25mg/L), while significantly inhibited the activities of these enzymes at a high concentration (100mg/L). These results indicated that AN2 not only inhibited protein synthesis, and respiratory chain oxidative phosphorylation, but also caused hepatocellular injury and reduced the detoxification ability of liver.