Silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) have been applied in several commercial products due to their antimicrobial properties, while their molluscicide properties, mode of action and toxicity to snail species remain unclear. In this study, the comparative toxicity of polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP)-functionalized Ag NPs and their dissolved counterpart (Ag ions) was analyzed during the early developmental stages of the freshwater snail Biomphalaria glabrata, intermediate host of Schistosoma mansoni. Ag NPs were synthesized and characterized by multiple techniques, and the snail embryotoxicity was analyzed in terms of mortality, hatching, developmental stages and morphological alterations, while the acute toxicity to newly-hatched snails was analyzed by mortality and behavioral impairments. Results showed that both Ag forms induced mortality, hatching delay and morphological alterations (especially hydropic abnormalities) in snail embryos in a concentration and exposure time dependent patterns. Ag NPs showed low embryotoxic effects and similar toxicity for newly-hatched snails when compared to their dissolved counterparts, indicating that the nanotoxicity was dependent of snail developmental stages. The knowledge about the Ag NP toxicity to different early development stages of B. glabrata contributes to its potential use as molluscicide and control of neglected tropical diseases, including schistosomiasis.

银纳米颗粒（Ag NPs）由于其抗菌特性而被应用于多种商业产品，而其杀软体动物特性，作用方式和对蜗牛物种的毒性仍不清楚。在这项研究中，聚乙烯吡咯烷酮（PVP）的比较毒性-官能化的Ag纳米颗粒和它们的溶解对应物（银离子）时蜗牛淡水的早期发育阶段进行分析贝罗比光滑，中间宿主曼氏血吸虫。通过多种技术合成和表征了银纳米颗粒，并从死亡率，孵化率，发育阶段和形态变化等方面对蜗牛的胚毒性进行了分析，并通过死亡率和行为障碍来分析了对新孵出的蜗牛的急性毒性。结果表明，两种银的形式均以浓度和暴露时间依赖性模式诱导蜗牛胚胎的死亡，孵化延迟和形态变化（尤其是水纹异常）。Ag NP与溶解的同类NP相比，对新孵出的蜗牛显示出较低的胚胎毒性作用和相似的毒性，表明纳米毒性取决于蜗牛的发育阶段。关于Ag NP对光滑芽孢杆菌早期发育阶段毒性的知识 有助于其作为杀软体动物剂和控制包括血吸虫病在内的被忽视的热带病的潜在用途。