A study conducted by a young team of zoologists from SNGS College, Pattambi, has found that the troublesome Mupli beetle (Luprops tristis Fabricius) widely seen across Kerala and Tamil Nadu, especially in rubber plantations, can be used to create metal nanoparticles that can be effectively used in the management of several diseases, including cancer.
The study conducted by A.P. Ajaykumar and eight others was published by Nature Scientific Reports. Dr. Ajaykumar and team found that the chemicals produced from the defensive gland of the Mupli beetle could be used to produce silver nanoparticles.
Mupli beetle, locally called kotteruma, is a troublesome insect as it secretes an odoriferous substance from its defensive gland when agitated. This chemical can cause blisters on human skin.
“We found that the chemical released by the beetle, generally harmful for human skin, can be used for the betterment of humanity,” said Dr. Ajaykumar.
First study
His students O. Sabira, Merin Sebastian, Sudhir R. Varma, K.B. Roy, V.S. Binitha, V. Abdul Rasheed, K.N. Jayaraj, and A.R. Vignesh assisted Dr. Ajaykumar in the study.
The team collected the Mupli beetle from different parts of the State and extracted the secretion without killing the insect. It was the first study using the beetle secretion for nanoparticle synthesis. Studies on other insects such as bees and wasps were carried out before. The study team found that the beetle secretion contained phenolic compounds.
Potential applications
“Our experiments found that the phenolic compounds in the beetle gland has the ability to reduce silver ions into silver nanoparticles, and can act as a good capping and stabilizing agent,” said Dr. Ajaykumar.
The paper says that metal nanoparticles synthesized by biological route exhibit a range of potential applications in a variety of fields, including healthcare, agriculture, environmental studies, robotics, energy, information technology, aeronautics, mass communication, heavy industry, consumer goods and development of different sensors.
According to Dr. Ajaykumar, the most difficult and inspiring fields of nanoscience are those involving the synthesis of metal nanoparticles. “Nanotechnology is one of today’s most significant scientific advancements. It relies on the production and manipulation of nanoparticles, which necessitates substantial alterations to the characteristics of metals,” said the report.
