Effects of Increased Salinity on Glucose and Maltose Composition of Biomphalaria glabrata Snails Infected with Schistosoma mansoni as Determined by High-Performance Thin-Layer Chromatography-Densitometry

Biomphalaria glabrata snails were infected with Schistosoma mansoni and maintained at different dilutions of artificial ocean water for up to 4 weeks. Glucose and maltose concentration of the digestive gland—gonad complex were analyzed by high-performance thin-layer chromatography at different stages of the infection. B. glabrata snails were divided into three experimental groups: Group A, snails with early prepatent infection (10 days post-infection); Group B, snails with late prepatent infection (22 days post-infection); and Group C, snails with patent infection (45 days post-infection). Infected snails in A were maintained at different salinities for 2 weeks and then necropsied, and their two main simple sugars, i.e., glucose and maltose, were analyzed. Groups B and C contained two subgroups: the first subgoups were analyzed after 2 weeks, and the second after 4 weeks. Controls for these experiments were maintained identically in either deionized water or artificial spring water. Maltose and glucose were extracted from the digestive gland—gonad complex in ethanol—water (70:30). 1-Butanol-glacial acetic acid-diethyl ether—deionized water (27:18:5:3) mobile phase was used to separate sugars on EMD Millipore silica gel preadsorbent plates. Sugars were detected using α-naphthol-sulfuric acid reagent and quantified with a CAMAG TLC Scanner 3 at 515 nm. The obtained data were compared using analysis of variance (ANOVA) single factor statistical analysis. Statistical differences were not found in any sugars in Group A snails. For glucose, a significant difference was found after 4 weeks in both B and C snails. For maltose, a significant difference was found after 4 weeks in B snails and after 2 weeks in C snails. Different salinity levels affect the maltose and glucose concentrations of adult B. glabrata snails infected with S. mansoni.