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• α-Terpinene, p-cymene and ascaridole were the main compounds of the essential oil of Dysphania ambrosioides (DAEO). • DAEO exhibited lethal effects against Biomphalaria glabrata in concentration recommended by WHO. • Effect of DAEO on Schistosoma mansoni cercariae was observed. • The LC 50 of DAEO for fish is lower than for target organisms. • The use of the oil is safer in schistosomiasis transmission sites that do not have non-target organisms. Schistosomiasis is one of the most important tropical diseases. A fundamental strategy to control its spread is the use of natural products against its vectors, which are snails of the genus Biomphalaria. The present study evaluated the chemical composition, the molluscicidal and cercaricidal effects, and the ecotoxicity of the essential oil from the aerial parts of Dysphania ambrosioides (L.) Mosyakin & Clemants (DAEO). The essential oil was obtained by hydrodistillation and analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Molluscicidal and cercaricidal activities were determined by the immersion method. Environmental toxicity was assessed from bioassays using Artemia salina larvae and Danio rerio fish. DAEO presented a 0.8% yield. The GC-MS analysis revealed the predominance of hydrocarbon monoterpenes in the oil. A total of 32 constituents was identified, with α-terpinene (50.69%) being the major compound, followed by p-cymene (13.27%) and ascaridole (10.26%). DAEO was active against adult Biomphalaria glabrata snails and demonstrated lethal effect against Schistosoma mansoni cercariae, with LC 50 values of 25.2 (22.7–27.8) and 62.4 (61.8–62.9) μg/mL, respectively. Regarding toxicity to non-target aquatic organisms, the oil showed LC 50 values of 86.9 (84.7–87.6) and 18.6 μg/mL (15.5–22.8) for A. salina and D. rerio , respectively. DAEO proved to be a promising natural product for the control of schistosomiasis, acting on both the vectors and the etiological agent of the disease. However, the use of the oil is safer in transmission sites where there are no non-target organisms, as it has showed toxicity to D. rerio fish. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Camphor and 1,8-cineole did not induce the mortality of adult B. glabrata snails. • Thymol and α-pinene are toxic to B. glabrata in concentration recommended by WHO. • Thymol and α-pinene toxicity to snails is concentration dependent. • Thymol and α-pinene are inhibitors of acetylcholinesterase of B. glabrata snails. • Low toxicity of thymol and α-pinene to non-target organisms compared to niclosamide. The molluscicidal action of essential oils have been attributed to the most prevalent terpene compounds. However, molluscicidal properties, mode of action, and toxicity to non-target organisms remain unclear. In this study, the molluscicidal potential of four monoterpenes (camphor, thymol, α-pinene, and 1,8-cineole) against the snail Biomphalaria glabrata , an intermediate host of Schistosoma mansoni , was analyzed. The molluscicide activity of each monoterpene was assessed by the standardized test of the World Health Organization (WHO) and the monoterpenes considered active against B. glabrata were analyzed as inhibitors of the enzymatic activity of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) extracted from snails. In addition, acute toxicity to non-target organisms was assessed against Danio rerio fish. The results show that camphor and 1,8-cineole monoterpenes did not induce snail mortality. Thymol and α-pinene were active against B. glabrata , inducing mortality in concentration-dependent patterns and showing a lethal effect in concentrations compatible with that recommended by the WHO (LC 90 of 7.11 and LC 90 10.34 μg ∙ mL−1, respectively). The toxic action of thymol and α-pinene on snails indicates that these monoterpenes may account for or largely contribute to the molluscicidal activity of essential oils that contain them as major compounds. Thymol and α-pinene inhibit the AChE of B. glabrata at concentrations higher than those used in the molluscicide test. These monoterpenes show low toxicity to non-target organisms compared to the commercial molluscicide niclosamide. Knowledge about monoterpene toxicity against B. glabrata contributes to its potential use in molluscicidal formulations and in alternatives to the control of snails that host intermediate S. mansoni , a crucial action in the prevention and transmission of schistosomiasis, a neglected tropical disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Essential oils have molluscicidal potential against schistosome transmitting snails. • Monoterpenic compounds were predominant in essential oils with significant molluscicidal activity. • Volatile constituents have been demonstrated to be alternative chemical agents for the control of schistosome intermediate hosts. • Few oils with molluscicidal activity have been subjected to acute toxicity testing against non-target organisms. This review aims to describe essential oils with bioactivity on adult snails of the genera Bulinus and Biomphalaria , which are intermediate hosts of schistosomes, and brings together information relating to the importance of molluscicides and the chemical composition and toxicity of such oils for other aquatic species. Analysis of the data of original articles revealed that 50 essential oils obtained from 46 plant species were evaluated for molluscicidal activity against the genera cited. More than 80% of the volatile oils studied were active, according to the criteria of the World Health Organization (LC 90 or LC 100 ≤100 µg/mL or LC 50 <40 µg/mL), and most of the oils came from plants belonging to the Rutaceae, Lamiaceae and Pinaceae. Around 37% of the surveyed plant species were obtained in Brazil and 88% of these plants were collected in the northeast of the country, a region with a high prevalence of schistosomiasis mansoni. The essential oils with the highest toxicity against host snails had high levels of hydrocarbon monoterpenes and oxygenated monoterpenes, which may be responsible for the molluscicidal activity. Some volatile components were subjected to molluscicidal evaluation, and the monoterpene compounds exhibited a significant molluscicide effect. This review confirmed the importance of essential oils as a promising alternative for the development of natural molluscicide products. However, in order to be safe for use at sites where schistosome intermediate hosts are found, information on ecotoxicity is required and, to date, few oils have been tested against non-target aquatic species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]