Gross histopathological effects of an extract of Agave attenuata on the epithelium of the digestive tract of Bulinus africanus

A lethal concentration of a crude, aqueous extract of Agave attenuata was applied as a contact poison to Bulinus africanus, the intermediate host of Schistosoma haematobium, for a 24-h period. The gross histopathological effects of the extract on the epithelium of the digestive tract were then studied. A graded series of cellular injuries to the epithelial layer was observed along the length of the tract. These included the loss of cilia and brush border, disruption of the epithelial layer, cellular vacuolation, swelling and rupture, and the discharge of secretory products from mucous gland cells. The results of the microscopy show that epithelial tissue is probably a primary target of the molluscicide. The cytological injuries induced by extracts of A. attenuata indicate that the molluscicide acts by disrupting the osmoregulatory mechanisms of the epithelial cells, but further, detailed studies are required to confirm this.