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Title: MOLLUSCICIDAL ACTIVITY OF VULGARONE B AGAINST RAM'S HORN SNAIL

Author
item Meepagala, Kumudini
item STURTZ, GEORGE - AROMAGEN
item MISCHKE, CHARLES - MISSISSIPPI STATE UNIV.
item WISE, DAVID - MISSISSIPPI STATE UNIV.
item Duke, Stephen

Submitted to: Pest Management Science
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 10/13/2003
Publication Date: 1/6/2004
Citation: Meepagala, K.M., Sturtz, G., Mischke, C.C., Wise, D., Duke, S.O. 2004. Molluscicidal activity of vulgarone b against ram's horn snail. Pest Management Science. 60:479-482.

Interpretive Summary: The rams' horn snail is an intermediate host for a digenetic trematode that has recently been discovered to be a significant problem in commercial channel catfish production ponds in the Mississippi Delta region of the USA. This problem was first noticed in 1999 in the Mississippi Delta region of the USA, but now has been documented in the states of Arkansas, Louisiana, Alabama and California. The economic loss to the catfish industry in the U.S. due to the trematode problem is estimated to be in the millions of dollars. In these catfish ponds, the digenetic life cycle of this parasitic trematode involves two intermediate hosts; the ram's horn snail and channel catfish, and the final host, the American white pelican. One approach to eradicate this problem is to disrupt the life cycle of the parasitic trematodes by eliminating the snails. During our search for natural product-based molluscicides to control the snails in the catfish ponds, vulgarone B, isolated from the steam distillate of the aerial parts of the plant Artemsia douglasiana (Asteraceae), was found to be active towards the snails. Vulgarone B, a natural product from a plant may be an environmentally acceptable alternative for snail control in aquaculture.

Technical Abstract: The ram's horn snail (Planorbdella trivolvis) is an intermediate host for a digenetic trematode (Bolbophorus confusus) that has recently been discovered to be a significant problem in commercial catfish (Ictalurus punctatus) production ponds in the Mississippi Delta region of the USA. In these catfish ponds, the digenetic life cycle of this parasitic trematode involves two intermediate hosts; the ram's horn snail and the channel catfish, and the final host, the American white pelican (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos). One approach to eradicate this problem is to disrupt the life cycle of the parasitic trematodes by eliminating the snails. During our search for natural product-based molluscicides to control the snails in the catfish ponds, vulgarone B, isolated from the steam distillate of the aerial parts of the plant Artemesia douglasiana (Asteraceae), was found to be active towards the snails with a LC50 of ca 30 uM. Channel catfish toxicity studies indicated a LC50 of ca 207 uM. Vulgarone B may be an environmentally acceptable alternative for snail control in aquaculture.