Time-dependent histopathological responses of the digestive gland in the land snail Cantareus aspersus exposed to cadmium, a copper-based fungicide, and their mixture
October 23, 2026
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| Article Title: | Time-dependent histopathological responses of the digestive gland in the land snail Cantareus aspersus exposed to cadmium, a copper-based fungicide, and their mixture |
| Authors: | Youbi A., Farfar K., Derradji M., Fetnaci I., Djebar M.R., Berrebbah H. |
| Affiliation: | Environmental Research Center (CRE), Avenue Boughazi Said, Annaba 23001, Algeria Laboratory of Cellular Toxicology, Department of Biology, University of Badji Mokhtar, BP 12, 23000 Annaba, Algeria Laboratory of Plant Biology and Environment, Department of Biology, University of Badji Mokhtar, BP 12, 23000 Annaba, Algeria |
| Abstract: | Agricultural intensification increases the accumulation of chemical mixtures in ecosystems, threatening non-target organisms. This study assessed the cocktail effect of cadmium and the copper-based fungicide Vacomil-Plus on the digestive gland of the land snail Cantareus aspersus. Snails were trophically exposed to cadmium (800 μg/L), fungicide (2 g/L), or their 1:1 mixture for 15, 30 and 90 days, and lesions were graded using a semi-quantitative histopathological score. Single contaminants induced relatively limited histopathological alterations at earlier exposure times, whereas severe and extensive tissue damage became evident at 90 days. In contrast, the mixture triggered hyperplasia and apoptosis as early as day 30, followed by marked fibrosis and necrosis at day 90; strongly suggesting synergistic toxicity. These results indicate that single-compound risk assessments underestimate mixture-related hazards in agrosystems. |
| Keywords: | histopathology, heavy metals, fungicide, synergistic toxicity, digestive gland. |
| *Correspondence: | Khadidja Farfar, Laboratory of Cellular Toxicology, Department of Biology, University of Badji Mokhtar, BP 12, 23000 Annaba, Algeria, email: khadidja89farfar@gmail.com |
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