Molluscicidal Activity of Cannabis sativa, Acacia nilotica and Tinospora cordifolia Extracts Against Vector Snail Lymnaea acuminata

Background and Objective: Fresh water snails of family lymnaeidae serve as vectors for parasitic trematode Fasciola hepatica which causes a serious zoonotic disease fascioliasis. The study aimed to investigate the possibility of indigenous plants Cannabis sativa, Acacia nilotica and Tinospora cordifolia to serve as natural molluscicides to control the population of vector snails. Materials and Methods: Aqueous extracts were prepared from freshly collected aerial parts of these plants. Healthy and acclimatized snails were exposed against different concentrations of the plant extracts continuously up to 96 hrs to analyse the toxicity of these extracts. Results: Mortality of snails after exposure of different combinations of the extracts indicates that the extracts from indigenous plants C. sativa, A. nilotica and T. cordifolia shows very promising molluscicidal activity against Lymnaea acuminata. Leaves of Cannabis sativa showed highest toxicity. Conclusion: This study obviously indicates that these indigenous plant extracts can be used as a potent natural molluscicides.