The Effects of Vitamin C on Biological, Biochemical and Economical Characteristics of the Silkworm, Bombyx mori L.

  • Etebari, Kayvan (Dept. of Sericulture, College of Natural Resources, University of Guilan) ;
  • Ebadi, Rahim (Dept. of Plant Protection, College of Agriculture, Isfahan Univ. of Technology) ;
  • Matindoost, Leila (Dept. of Entomology, College of Agriculture, University of Guilan)
  • Published : 2004.03.01

Abstract

In order to investigate the effects of supplementary nutrients on silkworms, Bombyx mori, an experiment was conducted with ascorbic acid treatments. Dietary supplements of ascorbic acid 1, 2 and 3% were fed to silkworm larvae through 1st to 5th instar, The larvae were fed by mulberry loaves of Kokoso variety and the supplementary loaves were used once a day. These treatments resulted in a significant increase of biological parameters such as larval weight, the rate of food consumption and the approximate digestibility of the food. But the economical parameters such as cocoon weight and cocoon shell weight didnt show considerable difference compared to control. Dietary supplement of 2% ascorbic acid increased the larval weight by 7.8% and reached to 1.065g, which had the highest weight increase in the fourth day of 4th instar larvae. The percentage of daily weight increase in this group of larvae (79.01%) had significant difference compared with other treatments. The nutritional efficiency index in this group of larvae was better than others. Also the abundance of biochemical macromolecules such as glucose, cholesterol, triacylglycerol and urea in haemolymph of larvae fed by 2% ascorbic acid increased to become 29.75 (mg/㎗), 24 (mg/㎗), 75.4(mg/㎗) and 32.1(mg/㎗) respectively. But protein contents of haemolymph of larvae in each treatment were not significantly different. Since all the results achieved were not considerable either statistically or economically, this method could not be recommended to improve the sericultural parameters.

Keywords

References

  1. Allsopp, P. G. (1992) Sugars, amino acids, and ascorbic acid as phagostimulants for larvae of Antitrogus parvulus and Lepidiota negatoria (Col., Scarabidae). J. Econ. Entomol. 85, 106-111 https://doi.org/10.1093/jee/85.1.106
  2. Babu, M., M. T. Swamy, P. K. Rao and M. S. Rao (1992) Effect of ascorbic acid enriched mulberry leaves on rearing of Bombyx mori. Indian J. Seric. 31, 111-114
  3. Barbehenn, R. V., S. L. Bumgarner, E. F. Roosen and M. M. Martin (2001) Antioxidant defenses in caterpillars: role of the ascorbate-recycling system in the midgut lumen. J. Insect Physiol. 47, 349-357 https://doi.org/10.1016/S0022-1910(00)00125-6
  4. Bucolo, G. and H. David (1973) Quantitative determination of serum triglycerides by the use of enzyme. Clin. Chern. 19, 476-482
  5. Chapman, R. F. (1998) The Insects-Structure and Function, 4th edition, Cambridge University Press. Cambridge
  6. Das, S. and A. Medda (1988) Effect of cyanocobalamin on protein and nucleic acid contents of ovary of silkworm, Bombyx mori L., during larval, pupal and adult stages of development. Insect Sci. Appl. 9, 641-646
  7. Dobzhenok, N. V. (1974) The effect of ascorbic acid on the physiological condition of the codling moth and its resistance to fungus and bacterial infection, Zakhist Roslin. 19, 3-7
  8. Dong, Q. and A. Zheng (1984) Quantitative dietary requirements of the yellow rice borer for ascorbic acid. Contr. Shang. Inst. Entomol. 4, 309-312
  9. Dungern, P. and H. Briegel (2001) Enzymatic analysis of uricotelic protein cataboloism in the mosquito Aedes aegypti. J. Insect Physiol. 47, 73-82 https://doi.org/10.1016/S0022-1910(00)00095-0
  10. El-Karaksy, I.A. and M. Idriss (1990) Ascorbic acid enhances the silk yield of the mulberry silkworm Bombyx mori. J. Appl. Entomol. 109, 81-86 https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1439-0418.1990.tb00022.x
  11. Etebari, K. (2002) Effect of enrichment of mulberry leaves (Morus alba) with some vitamins and nitrogenous compounds on some economic traits and physiological characters of silkworm Bombyx mori (Lep., Bombycidae). Isfahan University of Technology, Iran
  12. Etebari, K. and M. Fazilati (2003) Effect of feeding on mulberry's supplementary leaves with multi mineral in some biological and biochemical characteristics of silkworm (Bombyx mori).J. Sci. & Technol. Agric. & Natur. Resour. 7, 233-244
  13. Felton, G. W. and S. S. Duffey (1992) Asorbate oxidation reduction in Helicoverpa zea as a scavenging system against dietary oxidants. Arch. Insect Biochem. Physiol. 19, 27-37 https://doi.org/10.1002/arch.940190104
  14. Felton, G. W. and C. B. Summers (1993) Potential role of ascorbate oxidase as a plant defense protein against insect herbivory. J. Chem. Ecol. 19, 1553-1568 https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00984896
  15. Felton, G. W. and C. B. Summers (1995) Antioxidant systems in insects. Arch. Insect Biochem. Physiol. 29, 187-197 https://doi.org/10.1002/arch.940290208
  16. Gothif, G. and S. D. Beck (1967) Larval feeding behavior of the cabbage looper Trichoplusia ni. J. Insect Physiol. 13, 1039-1053 https://doi.org/10.1016/0022-1910(67)90106-0
  17. Hirayama, C., M. Sugimura and H. Shinbo (1999) Recycling of urea associated with the host plant ureas in the silkworm larvae, Bombyx mori. J. Insect Physiol. 45, 15-20 https://doi.org/10.1016/S0022-1910(98)00095-X
  18. Horie, Y. (1995) Recent advances of nutritional physiology and artificial diet of the silkworm, in Japan. Korean J. Seric. Sci. 37, 235-243
  19. Horie Y. and T. Ito (1965) Nutrition of the silkworm, Bombyx mori -X, Vitamin B requirments and the effects of several analogues. J. Insect Physiol. 11, 1585-1593 https://doi.org/10.1016/0022-1910(65)90024-7
  20. Ito, T. (1978) Silkworm Nutrition; in The Silkworm an Important Lahratory Tool. Tazima, Y. (ed.), pp. 121-157, Kodansha Ltd, Tokyo
  21. Lalita, K., A. K. Tripathi and D. P. Sinha (1991) Effect of some food adjuncts on food consumption by the larvae of Antheraea mylitta (Saturniidae: Lepidoptera). Bioved. 1, 133-136
  22. Lindroth R. L. and A. P. Weiss (1994) Effects of ascorbic acid deficiencies on larvae of Lymantria dispar (Lepidoptera: Lymantriidae). Great Lakes Entomologist 27, 169-174
  23. Lim, S. H., Y. T. Kim, S. P. Lee, 1. J. Rhee, J. S. Lim and B. H. Lim (1990) Sericulture training manual. FAO, Agricultural Services Bulletin, Rome
  24. Matsuda, K. (1981) Feeding stimulation of nutrient chemicals in Gastrophysa atrocyanea Motschulsky (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae). Jpn. J. App. Entomol. Zool. 25, 84-88 https://doi.org/10.1303/jjaez.25.84
  25. Muniandy, S., M. Sheela and S. T. Nirmala (1995) Effect of vitamins and minerals (Filibon) on food intake, growth and conversion efficiency in Bombyx mori. Environ. Ecol. 13, 433-435
  26. Navon, A. (1978) Effects of dietary ascorbic acid on larvae of the Egyptian cotton leafworm, Spodoptera littoralis. J. Insect Physiol. 24, 39-44 https://doi.org/10.1016/0022-1910(78)90009-4
  27. Nirwani, R. B. and B. B. Kaliwal, (1996) Effect of folic acid on economic traits and the change of some metabolic substances of bivoltine silkworm, Bombyx mori L. Korean J. Seric. Sci. 38, 118-123
  28. Richmond, W. (1973) Preparation and properties of cholesterol oxidase from Nocardia sp. and its application to enzymatic assay of total cholesterol in serum. Clin. Chem. 19, 1350-1356
  29. Roth, S. K., R. L. Lindorth and M. E. Montgomery (1994) Effects of foliar phenolics and ascorbic acid on performance of the gypsy moth (Lymantria dispar). Biochem. System. Ecol. 22, 341-351 https://doi.org/10.1016/0305-1978(94)90025-6
  30. Sarker, A., M. Haque, M. Rab and N. Absar (1995) Effects of feeding mulberry (Morus sp.) leaves supplemented with different nutrients to silkworm (Bombyx mori) L. Curr. Sci. 69, 185-188
  31. SAS institute (1997) SAS/STAT Users Guide for personal computers, Cary, NC: SAS Institute
  32. Satake, S., Y. Kawabe and A. Mizoguchi (2000) Carbohydrate metebolism during starvation in the silkworm Bombyx mori L. Arch. Insect Biochem. Physiol. 44, 90-98 https://doi.org/10.1002/1520-6327(200006)44:2<90::AID-ARCH4>3.0.CO;2-0
  33. Siegert, K. J. (1987) Carbohydrate metabolism in Manduca sexta during late larval development. J. Insect physiol. 33, 421-427 https://doi.org/10.1016/0022-1910(87)90021-7
  34. Singh, T. and G. P. Reddy (1981) Feeding behaviour of castor sernilooper, Achoea janata Linn. to sterols, ascorbic acid and castor leaves. Indian J. Entomol. 50, 530-532
  35. Sumida, M., K. Haga, Y. Tanaka, J. Shimabukuro, M. Ichida and F. Matsubara (1993) Developmental changes in urea in the haemolymph (determined by a urease-indophenol method) in hybrid strains of the silkworm, Bombyx mori and the effect of starvation in the fifth instar larvae, fed an arteficial diet, on urea level in subsequnt development, Comp. Biochem. Physiol. 105, 563-570 https://doi.org/10.1016/0300-9629(93)90435-7
  36. Timmermann, S. E., A. R. Zangerl and M. R. Berenbaum (1999) Ascorbic and uric acid responses to xanthotoxin ingestion in a Generalist and a specialist caterpillar. Arch. Insect Biochem. Physiol. 42, 26-36 https://doi.org/10.1002/(SICI)1520-6327(199909)42:1<26::AID-ARCH4>3.0.CO;2-G
  37. Valovage, W. D. and M. A. Brooks (1979) Uric acid quantities in the fat body of normal and aposymbiotic german cockroaches Blattella germanica. Ann. Ent. Soc. Am. 72, 687-689 https://doi.org/10.1093/aesa/72.5.687
  38. Volney, W. J., J. E. Milstead and V. R. Lewis (1983) Effect of food quality, larval density, and photoperiod on the feeding rate of the california oakworm (Lep., Dioptidae). Environ. Entomol. 12, 792-798 https://doi.org/10.1093/ee/12.3.792
  39. Waldbauer, G. P. (1968) The consumption and utilization of food by insects. Adv. Insect Physiol. 5, 229-288 https://doi.org/10.1016/S0065-2806(08)60230-1