Toxic effects of some pesticides on the enzymatic activities and spermatogenesis of the land snail Monacha cantiana

Laboratory studies have been carried out on the toxic effects of three different pesticides namely, Diazinon, Lambdacyhalothrin and Methomyl as poisonous baits against the land snail, Monacha cantiana. The activities of five vital tissue enzymes, as Catalase (CAT), Malondialdehyde (MDA), Aspartate transaminase (AST). Alanine transaminase(ALT) and Alkaline phosphatase (ALP) were examined after exposure of these snails to LC50 (5ppm) of the tested pesticides for 96hr. Results showed clearly that all sublethal concentrations of tested pesticides lead to a significant increase in the activities of the enzymatic levels within tissues of treated snails. On the other hand, LC25 (2.5 ppm) of Diazinon was found to produce severe histopathological alterations in the hermaphrodite gland of M. cantiana, including, deterioration in germinal epithelium of the acini spermatocytes as well as reduction in numbers of sperms which are inhibited to develop to the late stages of maturity.