Effect of enriching mulberry leaves with certain foliar fertilizers on some physiological aspects of mulberry silkworm, Bombyx mori L.

Abstract EN

Studies were conducted to evaluate the effect of certain foliar fertilizers (Basfoliar combi ctip, Tecamin max and Stimoful) as a nutritional additives on some physiological aspects in haemolymph of mulberry silkworm, Bombyx mori L.

Mulberry leaves were dipped in three concentrations for each tested foliar fertilizer (1, 2 and 3%) and offered to the first group larvae at the beginning of the 4th larval instar.

The second group was treated at the beginning of both 4th and 5 th instar larvae.

Results showed that total protein increased as concentration increased in the two groups.

Tecamin max gave the highest mean of total protein in two groups.

Stimoful gave the highest mean of total carbohydrate in the two groups.

The concentration 3% from stimoful recorded the highest content from total carbohydrate in both groups.

Tecamin max gave the highest mean of Glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase (GOT) and glutamic pyruvic transaminase (GPT) enzyme activities in both groups.

Larvae fed on leaves treated by Basfoliar combi ctip gave the highest activity of amylase enzyme in both groups and the concentration 3% recorded the highest level of amylase activity.

Tecamin max gave the highest level of invertase activity on the first group, while stimoful recorded the highest mean of invertase activity on the second group.

The highest level of Trehalase activity was 83.53 mg glucose/ ml for stimoful on the first group, while Basfoliar combi ctip recorded the highest level of trehalase activity on the second group.

Conclusively, fortification of mulberry leaves with different nutritional additives as foliar fertilizers increased some physiological aspects of mulberry silkworm B.

mori especially as concentration increased.