Toxicity effect of Silver Nanoparticles to the Haemocytes and Antioxidant activity of Silkworm <i>Bombyx mori</i>
Abir A. Gad
Abstract
The present study investigates the effect of AgNPs on some biological parameters and total protein amount, antioxidant potential and catalase activity of silkworm Bombyx mori . Incorporation of AgNPs (100 μg mL –1 ) in supplementary diets results in significant increases in the larval weight and the antioxidant potential but significantly decreases the catalase activity. The relative growth rate decreases as the high concentration (1000 μg mL –1 ). Exposure to AgNPs also caused violent results in alteration of haemocyte including an immediate increase in THC, may due to the release of these haemocytes either from an increase in cell divisions or from attached haemocyte populations, and decline in the percentage of prohaemocytes and increase in the percentage of two immune‐phagocytes, i.e., granulocytes and plasmatocytes. Also, AgNPs at 100 and 1000 μg mL –1 caused different levels of deformations on almost all haemocyte types and increased the antioxidant enzyme activity (catalase) in the haemolymph of treated larvae as a result of the toxic effects of treatment.