Molluscicidal Activity of Ethanolic Dieffenbachia seguine (Dumb Cane) Leaf Extract Against Pomacea canaliculata (Golden Apple Snail)

Abstract

The golden apple snail (Pomacea canaliculata), an invasive species that originated in South America, has caused significant damage to rice plantations in Southeast Asia, notably the Philippines. Because of its voracious appetite for aquatic vegetation and quick reproduction rate, it poses a significant agricultural problem. Conventional control approaches, which mostly use chemical molluscicides, have increased environmental issues and threats to non-target organisms. This study evaluates the molluscicidal activity of Dieffenbachia seguine leaf extract against P. canaliculata. The extract demonstrated dose-dependent mortality, achieving 100% mortality at 100 mg/L. However, the extract should be regarded as a potential plant-based alternative requiring further ecotoxicological and field validation rather than a confirmed environmentally safe substitute. According to the results, the lethal levels (LD₅₀ and LD₉₀) were 12.46 mg/L and 61.13 mg/L, respectively. The findings indicate that the crude D. seguine extract produced significant laboratory mortality in P. canaliculata at increasing concentrations. Statistical analyses verified that concentration had a substantial impact on the extract's molluscicidal activities. These results support further investigation of D. seguine leaf extract as a possible component of Integrated Pest Management (IPM), provided that extract standardization, formulation stability, degradation behavior, non-target ecotoxicity, and field efficacy are established before practical application.