Basic HTML Version
Molecular Entomology 2013, Vol.4, No.3, 13-21
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Figure 2 A: Spectrophotometric amylase assay of three parts of
the midgut; B: In gel assay of the α-amylase activity in three
parts of the midgut including anterior (A), mid (M) and
posterior (P) midgut
Figure 3 A: Spectrophotometric protease assays of the three
parts of the midgut; B: in gel assays of the protease activity in
three parts of the midgut including anterior (A), mid (M) and
posterior (P) midgut
2.2 Effects of the seed extracts on the α-amylase
activity
α-amylase activity in the presence of wheat and
triticale seed extracts showed a dose dependent
inhibition (Figure 4). The effect of wheat seed extract
is greater than effect of the triticale seed extract on the
enzyme activity. Lowest concentration of wheat and
triticale seed extracts (0.106 mg protein/mL) inhibited
39% and 18% of the enzyme activity, respectively
(Figure 4). Thus, wheat seed extraction concentrations
of 1.7 mg protein/mL, 0.85 mg protein/mL, 0.425 mg
protein/mL, 0.212 mg protein/mL and 0.106 mg
protein/mL caused 82.0%, 76.24%, 74.21%, 55.64%,
39.52% enzyme inhibition, respectively. Similar
concentrations of Triticale seed extraction caused
75.5%, 65.64%, 51.46%, 46.42% and 17.29% enzyme
inhibition, respectively. Therefore, the highest
concentration of the two seed extracts including wheat
and triticale inhibited 82% and 75% enzyme activity,
respectively showing potency of the wheat seed
extract against this insect alpha amylase activity.
Figure 4 Inhibition of
Ectomyelois ceratoniae
α-amylase by
wheat and triticale seed extract
Note: Each point is average of three replications
2.3 Effects of the seed extracts on protease activity
Changes in the activity of protease enzymes in the
presence of seed extracts showed a dose dependent
manner (Figure 5) although there were not significant
changes in the enzyme activity between the two seed
extracts. Concentrations of 1.7 mg protein/mL,
0.85 mg protein/mL, 0.425 mg protein/mL,
0.212 mg protein/mL and 0.106 mg protein/mL
triticale seed extract inhibited the insect protease
activity 56.86%, 26.14%, 20.26%, 7.18% and 2.61%,
respectively (Figure 5). Wheat seed extraction at
concentrations of 1.7 mg protein/mL, 0.85 mg
protein/mL, 0.425 mg protein/mL, 0.212 mg
protein/mL and 0.106 mg protein/mL inhibited the
insect gut protease 61.56%, 23.52%, 21.45%,
17.64% and 15.22%, respectively.