Assessment of the impact of green synthesized copper nanoparticles on freshwater snails (Indoplanorbis exustus) in comparison with field-control and lab-control snails

Abstract

Nanomaterials are used extensively because of their optical, electrical, catalytic, and mechanical properties. To understand the biological processes in an experimental organism, we aimed to highlight the comparative results obtained in the field-control, lab-control, and experimental freshwater snails (Indoplanorbis exustus). Terminalia arjuna bark extract was used for the synthesis of CuNPs and for characterization SEM, XRD, and FTIR techniques were used. The estimated LC50 concentration for 96 h was to be 9.97 mg/L, thereafter animals were exposed further for 14 days to sub-lethal concentrations: 1/7th (1.42 mg/L), 1/5th (1.99 mg/L), 1/3rd (3.32 mg/L), and 1/2nd (4.98 mg/L). The data collected after conducting experiments on snails in the laboratory varied from the field-control snails. For comparison, the protein profile of field-control, lab-control, and experimental animals were displayed using sodium dodecyl sulfate–polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and then compared based on molecular masses. The bacterial isolates obtained were all belonging to streptococcus family. All isolates were Gram-positive and catalase-negative. A significant increase in bioaccumulation of CuNPs and dose-dependent necrosis was observed after 14 days. The results obtained from the field control animals were different from those obtained in the lab control and experimental groups upon exposure to increasing concentration of CuNPs for 14 days.