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.
