Silkworm, Bombyx mori (L.) fat body ATPase’s activity on exposure to sub-lethal and sub-sub lethal doses of copper

Mulberry gardens are being contaminated by various pesticides and fungicides from nearby agricultural practice. Specifically copper containing fungicides utilized in adjacent cultivations where thecrops is being protected by copper fungicides to control the fungal pathogens. Copper besides other heavy metals and pesticides can also alters the activities of ATPase’s of silkworm larvae particularly sodium/potassium, magnesium, and total ATPase’s. Hence the author aimed to study the effect of copper on silkworm ATPase’s activity. In the present study we observed that the ATPase’s activity was decreased in 2 days exposure when compared with 4 days exposure of copper in sub-lethal dose than the control worms. However there was a slight decreased ATPase activity in 2 days exposure period at sub-sub lethal dose of copper. Further it is observed that at sub-sub lethal dose on exposure period of 4 days there was no significant change in ATPase’s activity. It is concluded that the sub-sub lethal dose (1.75 g) could not induce toxic effect and silkworm could get recovered on prolonged exposure of four days exposure. This could be due to detoxification mechanism triggered in fat body cells of silkworm during the recovery process.