Biochemical and Histomorphological Impact of a Potential Chlorate Pesticide Agent on Tissues of the Giant African Land Snail (Archachatina marginata) as Indication of Toxicity

¹ Department of Biomedical Laboratory Science, Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Ibadan,Nigeria

² Department of Medical Laboratory Science, School of Public and Allied Health, Babcock University, Ilishan-Remo, Nigeria

³ Genetics and Molecular Sciences Unit, Institute of Child Health, College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, Nigeria

^*Corresponding Author

Department of Biomedical Laboratory Science, Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences

College of Medicine, University of Ibadan

Nigeria

E-mail: kennethchukwudionyegbula@yahoo.com

Tel: +2348034239571

ORCID id: 0000-0001-8177-3440

Abstract

Objective: Herbicides and pesticides are used in agricultural practice to mitigate activities of unwanted herbs and pests thereby boosting food production while exposing non-target organisms to their deleterious effects. This study investigated the biochemical and histological impact of a pesticide agent (potassium chlorate) on non-target giant African land snail (Archachatina marginata).

Methods: After laboratory acclimatization, thirty adult snails divided into six experimental groups of five snails each were exposed to 2 liters of distilled water (control), 1mg/L KClO₃, 2mg/L KClO₃, 4mg/L KClO₃, 8mg/L KClO₃ and 10mg/L KClO₃ respectively for 2 weeks after which edible foot region from each group were pooled together for analysis. Data was analyzed with descriptive statistics and results presented as standard deviation of mean. One sample T-Test was used to assess differences in mean values. Probability of ≤ 0.05 was considered significant.

Results: Statistically significant differences were observed in mean values obtained for control and chlorate-exposed samples for alanine-aminotransferase (P≤0.05), alkaline-phosphatase (P≤0.05), gamma-glutamyltransferase (P≤0.05), urea (P≤0.05), total-bilirubin (P≤0.05), conjugated-bilirubin (P≤0.05), total-protein (P≤0.05), globulin (P≤0.05), cholesterol (P≤0.05) and glucose (P≤0.05) but not for aspartate-aminotransferase (P>0.05), unconjugated-bilirubin (P>0.05) and albumin (P>0.05). Shrinkage and degeneration of mucous secreting unicellular glands and hyaline fibers, inflammatory cells and necrotic materials enclosed in vacuoles, vacuole formation within oblique muscle fibers, splitting and atrophy of oblique muscle fibers were observed in the chlorate-exposed samples.

Conclusion: Biochemical and histological observations seen in this study are suggestive of liver and kidney dysfunction following exposure of the giant African land snail (Archachatina marginata) to the potassium chlorate pesticide agent. Caution should therefore be exercised in incorporating and adopting potassium chlorate as a proprietary pesticide agent.

Keywords:Histotoxicity, Pesticides, Oxidative enzymes, Liver dysfunction, Kidney dysfunction

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