THE EFFECT OF Cr (VI) ON SILK WORM (BOMBYX MORI) FED ON IN VITRO ACCUMULATED MULBERRY LEAVES
Muhammad Arslan Shoukat1, Shahzad Ashraf2*, Muazzam Ali3, Zafar Iqbal4,
Mirza Imran Shahzad2, H. R. Chaudary2, Nuzhat Sial3, Zahra Batool3.
1. Department of Agriculture, Yazman, Bahawalpur2. University College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, TheIslamia University of Bahawalpur, Bahawalpur3. Department of Life Sciences, TheIslamia University of Bahawalpur, Bahawalpur4. Institute of Animal Nutrition and Feed Technology,
University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, Pakistan.
ABSTRACT
Heavy metals take route to higher trophic levels by first of all accumulating in harvestable parts of plants like leaves. Higher the trophic level the amount of metal increase and affect every higher trophic level. Silkworm (Bombyx mori) is used as template to assess the biotransformation of heavy metal in a food chain from soil to plant then insect. The mulberry plants were irrigated with synthetic effluent of Cr (VI) (100mg/L with pH 4.5) and the treated soil, mulberry plant leaves, silkworm body, cuticle, alimentary canal, silk glands, silk cocoons and their excreta were sampled to check Cr (VI) contents accumulated by using atomic absorption spectrometry (AAS). The concentration of Cr (VI) in soil and mulberry leaves tend to increase with increase in irrigation times. On the other hand, the contents of Cr (VI) in B. mori larvae and the excreta were in considerable amount but decrease with the increase in larval instars, yet most of Cr (VI) remains in its body. Cr (VI) found in B. mori body was liable for toxic effects on its life cycle and the body growth and silk production was also inhibited under the effect of Cr (VI) accumulation. A considerable amount of Cr (VI) was also found deposited in the silk glands, cuticle and alimentary canal, and concentration of Cr (VI) in larval body increased B. mori death rate significantly.
Keywords: Bombyx mori, sriculture, bio-transformation, heavy metal.
