Studies On The Effect Of Natural Antioxdant On The Copper And Zinc Accumulation On The Silkworm, Bombyx Moril.

Abstract

The best-known type of silk is obtained from the cocoons of the mulberry silkworm (Bombyx mori L.). Silkworm totally depends on mulberry leaves for survival.Silkworm fed with good quality mulberry leaves enriched with micronutrients in optimum quantity, results in successful seed cocoon production. Several heavy metals are essential micronutrients for plants but they can damage the plant growth, if they exceed threshold of phytotoxicity. Heavy metals containing industrial effluents and municipal waste water are also being used to irrigate agricultural land. Zn is commonly detected in industrial traceeffluents and municipal waste waters. It has an ability to be accumulated in plants and water. Among micronutrients copper and zinc play a vital role in silkworm growth.Heavy metals may oxidative stress to the mulberry plant. So to reduce oxidative stress tried to prepare high antioxidant rich food used as ingredient in natural diet.Antioxidants offer resistance against oxidative stress by scavenging free radicals, inhibiting lipids peroxidation etc. Studies regarding the catalase activity showed that it was widely distributed in various tissues of B. mori larvae. They also detected a relatively high activity in the fat body. Antioxidant enzymes and small molecular weight antioxidant perform an effective response against oxidant in insect. Hence the present investigation was carried out on the oral supplementation of natural antioxidant(rice meal, wheat meal, corn meal and aloe vera gel) on copper and zinc accumulation in haemolymph, muscle and silk gland of B.morilarvae.