Arthropod-Plant Interactions (2012) 6, 213-220
Neeta D. Kalve, Purushottam R. Lomate and Vandana K. Hivrale (2012)
A proteinaceous thermo labile alpha-amylase inhibitor from Albizia lebbeck with inhibitory potential toward insect amylases
Arthropod-Plant Interactions 6 (2), 213-220
Abstract: Insects feeding on stored grains cause considerable damage to harvested cereals and legumes every year. The use of α-amylase inhibitors to interfere with the pest's digestion process has become an interesting alternative biocontrolling agent. In this study, we have studied the interactions of α-amylase inhibitors from Albizia lebbeck seeds with the amylases of coleopteran and lepidopteran insect pests. We isolated and purified the α-amylase inhibitor using acetone precipitation and gel filtration chromatography. Two prominent activity bands of α-amylase inhibitors were detected in electrophoretic analysis using 8% starch PAGE. We found that the α-amylase inhibitor, isolated as a monomer, had a molecular weight of 14.4 kDa. The α-amylase inhibitor was purified 36.15-fold with gel filtration chromatography. Its specific activity was determined at 14.4 U/mg/min. Feeding analysis of Tribolium confusum larvae on a diet containing purified α-amylase inhibitor from Albizia lebbeck revealed that survival of the larvae was severely affected, with the highest mortality rate occurring on the fifth day of feeding. We found that the isolated α-amylase inhibitor inhibits T. confusum and Helicoverpa armigera α-amylases in electrophoretic analysis as well as in solution assays. The isolated α-amylase inhibitor was found to be resistant to commercial protease as well as T. confusum and H. armigera digestive proteinases. The isolated α-amylase inhibitor was degraded by heating above 60°C. Our results suggest that A. lebbeck α-amylase inhibitor could be a useful future biocontrolling agent.
(The abstract is excluded from the Creative Commons licence and has been copied with permission by the publisher.)
Link to article at publishers website
Research topic(s) for pests/diseases/weeds:
control - general
Pest and/or beneficial records:
| Beneficial | Pest/Disease/Weed | Crop/Product | Country | Quarant.
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tribolium confusum | ||||
| Helicoverpa armigera |
