مشخصات پژوهش

Alpha-amylase enzyme (E.C. 3.2.1.1) in Insects has been noticed as a new target for pest management programs. Several plant species have high levels of amylase inhibitors in their different tissues. These inhibitors are used as defense tools against pests. Due to the chemical problems in environment, extraction of digestive enzyme inhibitors such as amylase inhibitors from different plants can be replaced by chemical pesticides. Amylase inhibitors, inhibit this enzyme in insects and cause death or reduction in growth and development. In the present project, effect of seed protein extracts of Prosopis farcta and Cicer arietinum were studied on alpha-amylase activity of boll worm, Helicoverpa armigera (Hübner) after extraction by sodium chloride 0.1 M. At first whole gut of the fourth instar larva were dissected and the enzyme extract pulled out. Results showed that maximum of enzyme inhibition were done in pH 9. In this pH, 60 and 70 percent of inhibition were observed in C. arietinum and P. farcta treatments, respectively. Also, inhibition of alpha-amylase enzyme, affected by 1.48 μg protein extract of P. farcta and C. arietinum was 70 and 56 percent, respectively. Parallel by quantitative enzyme assay, a sharp reduction was shown in the band thickness, during the zymogram analysis. Thus, the seeds of both P. farcta and C. arietinum, have this potential to be considered as effective and important sources of alpha-amylase enzyme inhibitors and noticed as an alternative for chemical pesticides in the future.