The effect of sub-lethal doses of Azadirachta indica (Meliaceae) oil on the midgut of Spodoptera frugiperda (Lepidoptera, Noctuidae)

The fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda, is one of the major field pests for maize production. It is mainly controlled by means of synthetic, and more recently by resistant cultivar of maize expressing Bt toxins. The neem tree, Azadirachta indica, is a plant that can potentially control insects with the advantage of being food and environmental safe. The aim of this study was to assess the effect of neem oil on the development and survival of S. frugiperda caterpillars by assessing histological alterations caused on their midgut. Newly hatched caterpillars were submitted to three neem oil concentrations: 0.006; 0.05; 0.4%, which were added to their artificial diet. Ten 3rd instar caterpillars, taken from each treatment, were submitted to histological analysis. The alimentary canals from the specimens were fixed in Baker for 12 hours, desiccated and diaphanized in alcohol/xylol (1:1) and xylol. After placing the samples in paraffin, they were sliced in 8 µm sections and stained with hematoxylin-eosin stain. The neem oil added to the diet of S. frugiperda caused total mortality at dose of 0.4% whilst still in the first instars, prolonged the larval and pupal stages, and reduced the pupal weight. Histo-physiological alterations such as degeneration of the epithelial lining of the midgut and in the peritrophic matrix were found at all concentrations of neem oil

Characterization of Brown spider (Loxosceles intermedia) hemolymph: Cellular and biochemical analyses

This is the first study on the hemolymph from a spider of the Loxosceles genus. These animals are responsible for a great number of envenomation cases worldwide. Several studies on Loxosceles venoms have been published, and the knowledge about the venom and its toxins is considerable, not only regarding the biological and biochemical characterization, but also regarding structural, genetic and phylogenetic approaches. However, the literature on Loxosceles hemolymph is nonexistent. the main goal of the present study was to characterize biochemically the hemolymph content, and especially, to identify its different hemocytes. Moreover, many papers have already shown molecules whose source is the hemolymph and their very interesting activities and biomedical applications, for example, antifungal and antibacterial activities. A 2D-SDS-PAGE of brown spider hemolymph showed approximately 111 spots for pH 3-10 and 150 spots for pH 4-7. A lectin-blotting assay showed that hemolymph carbohydrate residues were similar to those found in venom. Several types of TAG and DAG phospholipids were found in the hemolymph and characterized by HPTLC and mass spectrometry. Four different hemocytes were characterized in Loxosceles intermedia hemolymph: prohemocyte, plasmatocyte, granulocyte and adipohemocyte. This paper opens new possibilities on toxinology, studying an unknown biological material, and it characterizes a source of molecules with putative biotechnological applications. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)Fundacao Araucaria, SETI-PRFundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)Univ Fed Parana, Dept Cell Biol, UFPR, BR-81531990 Curitiba, Parana, BrazilUniv Fed Parana, Clin Hosp, Dept Clin Pathol, BR-81531990 Curitiba, Parana, BrazilUniversidade Federal de São Paulo, Lab Immunochem Glycoconjugates, Dept Biochem, São Paulo, SP, BrazilUniversidade Federal de São Paulo, Discipline Mol Biol, Dept Biochem, São Paulo, SP, BrazilUniversidade Federal de São Paulo, Lab Immunochem Glycoconjugates, Dept Biochem, São Paulo, SP, BrazilUniversidade Federal de São Paulo, Discipline Mol Biol, Dept Biochem, São Paulo, SP, BrazilCNPq: 14/2012CNPq: 479480/2012-5CNPq: 472587/2011-0FAPESP: 2006/07005-4FAPESP: 2010/52426-3Web of Scienc