Journal of Environmental Biology

Assessment of Sauromatum guttatum lectin toxicity against Bactrocera cucurbitae

Manpreet Kaur¹, Kshema Thakur², Sukhdev Singh Kamboj², Satwinder Kaur³, Amritpal Kaur³ and Jatinder Singh²*

 ¹Department of Human Genetics, Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar-143 005, India

²Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar-143 005, India

³Department of Zoology, Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar-143 005, India

* Corresponding Author?s  Email : jatinderarora2009@gmail.com

Publication Data

Paper received:

29 July 2014

Revised received:

23 January 2015

Accepted:

20 March 2015

Abstract

Lectins are proteins that bind specifically to foreign glycans. Due to this binding property, these molecules have potential application as bioinsecticidal tools replacing conventional chemical insecticides. The present study involved purification of phytolectin from the tubers of Sauromatum guttatum by affinity chromatography on asialofetuin-linked silica matrix. The purity of the sample was checked by SDS-PAGE at pH 8.3. Purified lectin was incorporated in the artificial diet of a Dipteran model, Bactrocera cucurbitae at different concentrations (10, 20, 40, 60 and 80 μgml^-1). The lectin significantly affected various developmental parameters that were studied. Percentage pupation and percentage emergence was reduced to 44 % and 7.9%, respectively, at 80 μgml^-1 concentration as compared to control (100 %). LC₅₀ of Sauromatum guttatum lectin was calculated to be 19.42 μgml^-1. Treatment of insect larvae with LC₅₀ of Sauromatum guttatum lectin suppressed the activity of hydrolytic enzymes (esterases and acid phosphatases) and oxidative enzymes (superoxide dismutase and glutathione-S-transferase). Thus, with low LC₅₀ and high mortality (approximately 92 % at 80 μgml^-1) of the insect larvae, Sauromatum guttatum lectin offers a possibility to engineer crop plants for improved and safer agriculture.   

 Key words

Anti-oxidative enzymes, Araceae, Artificial diet bioassay, Hydrolytic enzymes, Tephritidae 

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