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Journal of Mosquito Research, 2013, Vol.3, No.2, 11
-
13
ISSN 1927-646X
http://jmr.sophiapublisher.com
11
Research Report Open Access
Effect of Aqueous Amino Acid Extracts on the Developmental Period of Immature
Stages of
Culex quinquefasciatus
(Diptera: Culicidae) in Laboratory Bioassay
Utpal Adhikari , Anupam Ghosh , Goutam Chandra
1 Mosquito and Microbiology Research Unit, Department of Zoology, The University of Burdwan, West Bengal, India
2 Department of Zoology, Bankura Christian College, West Bengal, India
Corresponding author email:
goutamchandra63@yahoo.co.in;
Authors
Journal of Mosquito Research, 2013, Vol.3, No.2 doi: 10.5376/jmr.2013.03.0002
Received: 28 Dec., 2012
Accepted: 10 Jan., 2013
Published: 16 Feb., 2013
This is an open access article published under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and
reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Preferred citation for this article:
Adhikari et al., 2013, Effect of Aqueous Amino Acid Extracts on the Developmental Period of Immature Stages of
Culex quinquefasciatus
(Diptera: Culicidae)
in Laboratory Bioassay, Vol.3, No.2 11-13 (doi: 10.5376/jmr.2013.03.0002)
Abstract
In the present study, effect of different concentrations (2, 3 and 4%) of 8 amino acids viz. Alanine (L), Isoleucine (L),
Leucine (L), Glutamic acid (L), Tyrosine (L), Methionine (L), Glycine (L) and Phenyl Alanine (L) were studied on the duration of
development of specific life cycle stages of immature
Culex quinquefasciatus
in laboratory bioassay. The necessary instar/ stage
specific developmental period was found to be density independent. Alanine, Glutamic acid and Isoleucine have a developmental
delayed effect where as Methionine and Tyrosine had a growth acceleratory effect.
Keywords
Amino acid; Developmental period; Growth retardation effect; Survivality
1. Introduction
The nutritional properties of proteins depend upon its
amino acid (s) composition and contents. In the digestive
system of animals, the digestive enzymes hydrolyze
ingested proteins into individual amino acids and then
they were combined into the specific proteins that are
needed for growth and development. Besides working
as a building block of proteins and providing nutritional
values to all biological organisms the individual essential
and non essential amino acids have also been reported
for their additional role in neural transmission, detoxi-
fication, energy production and regulation of morpho-
genetic processes (Chen, 1985; Anand and Anand,
1994; Chang, 2004). Although, the importance of dose
and species dependent protein diets on development of
insects and the effect of isolated protein on toxicity of
larvae have been studied earlier (Chang, 2004) but the
association of individual amino acids on developmental
period of mosquitoes have been poorly understood.
Present investigation reported the changes in develop-
mental period of immature forms of
Cx. Quinquefas-
ciatus
treated with different concentrations of amino
acids in laboratory bioassay.
2. Materials and Methods
Present study was conducted at Burdwan (23° 16' N,
87° 54' E), West Bengal, India, during June-August
2011. Larvae of
Cx. quinquefasciatus
were obtained
from a laboratory colony maintained in the Mosquito
Research Unit, Department of Zoology, the University of
Burdwan.
During the present study pure samples (LOBA) of
amino acids viz. Alanine, Isoleucine, Leucine, Glutamic
acid, Tyrosine, Methionine, Glycine and Phenyl Alanine
were used in laboratory bioassay. Aqueous extracts of
2%, 3% and 4% were prepared by mixing the
necessary amounts (2 mg, 3 mg and 4 mg respectively)
of amino acids in 100 mL of double distilled water.
Each of the concent- rations of amino acid extract
(2%~4%) was transferred into sterile glass Petri dishes
(9 cm diameter/150 mL capacity). Then, newly
hatched 1
st
instar larval form of
Cx. quinquefasciatus
were separately introduced into different Petri-dishes
containing graded concentrations and the duration of
period for each larval instar and other life cycle stages
were recorded up to adult emerence. Different instars
were identified as per the diameter of head capsules.
Dead larvae if any were identified when they failed to
move after probing with a needle in the siphon or
cervical region. The experiments were replicated five
times and conducted under laboratory conditions at