Evaluation of the Molluscicidal Activity of Aqueous and Ethanolic Extracts of the Neorautanenia Mitis Plant Against Snail Intermediate Hosts of Bilharziasis in the Laboratory

Schistosomiasis remains a major public health problem in tropical countries and especially in DR Congo. One of the main preventive measures against trematode infection is the control of the disease vector population through the use of molluscicides. The objective of this work is focused on the fight against bilharzia intermediate host snails using extracts of the <i>Neorautanenia mitis</i> plant from the East of the Democratic Republic of Congo against the snails <i>Biomphalaria pfeifferi</i> intermediate host of bilharziasis. For the identification of the different characteristics of the plant, we used phytochemical tests based on color or precipitation reactions and a test of molluscicidal activities to know the lethal concentrations of the extracts were carried out. Analysis of the plant <i>Neorautanenia mitis</i> shows that this plant is pharmacologically active against snail intermediate hosts of bilharziasis. It contains phenol, terpene and saponin which are recognized as molluscicidal and insecticidal substances. The mortality rate is greater than 50% at a concentration of up to 0.002mg/L of the crude extracts in ethanol of this plant. This plant is very poisonous than these other plants. But the responsible substance is not yet well determined and deserves very detailed studies of the extraction of the different responsible substances and their tests on molluscs before determining the structure of this substance.