The study was undertaken to assess the dosage-mortality ratio and toxic effects of
Piper guineense
fruit extracts on the
adults of
Biomphalaria pfeifferi
, the snail intermediate host of
Schistosoma mansoni
, which causes intestinal schistosomiasis. The
result showed significant toxic effects with crude ethanol and hot water fruits extracts. The estimated lethal dose concentration by
arithmetic method (LC
50 and LC
90) using both crude ethanol and hot water fruit media extracts were found to be (0.10 ± 0.04, 0.9
± 0.2) mgl
-1 respectively for ethanolic extract and (5.0 ± 1.4, 8.5 ± 0.7) mgl
-1 respectively for hot water extract. Ethanolic extract
was more potent than hot water extract. An all or none phenomenon appeared characteristic of the biological activity of these
extracts. There was significant decrease in oviposition rate (p < 0.02). The extract from the fruits of this tropical plant holds
promise in the control of
Biomphalaria pfeifferi.
