Determination of Midgut Protease Activity in Zophobas morio Larvae Fed a Diet Containing Microplastic Particles
Files
Publication Date
Summer 2024
Digital Publisher
Digital Commons at St. Mary's University
Collection
McNair Scholars Symposium
Keywords
microplastics; midgut enzymes; Zophobas morio; superworm; environmental pollutants; plastic waste
Description
Microplastics (MPs) are pollutants in terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems consisting of particles from 5000 mm to 0.01 mm in diameter. These small plastic particles persist in the environment; they are easily ingested by most organisms, and may produce degradation products known to disrupt endocrine systems. The abundance of MPs all over the planet is so immense and wide-ranging that many scientists today have begun studying their effect on biological organisms, which is still not well known. Superworms (Zophobas morio larvae) have been shown to be capable of breaking down major plastic polymers such as expanded polystyrene foam through both physical and biochemical mechanisms, but the effect of this degradation on their digestive enzyme activity has yet to be characterized. This study aimed to measure the effect of ingesting various microplastics on midgut protease activity in the larvae of Z. morio. The superworms were fed a standard diet, with some being “laced” with plain nylon, polyester, polyethylene, and polypropylene microparticles at various concentrations, as well as polystyrene foam. The protease activities of their midgut tissues were measured using azocasein. The ingestion of plastics appeared to cause alterations in midgut protease activity, particularly in the nylon, polypropylene, and polystyrene feedings. The mechanism of these alterations remains to be determined. Possible effectors include endocrine disruption, inflammation of the gut lining, or disruption of gut microbiota. Future directions include measuring the protease activities of gut contents (secreted enzymes), as well as examining specific proteases such as trypsin and chymotrypsin.
Disciplines
Digestive System | Environmental Studies | Other Microbiology
Format
MOV
Medium
video
Size or Duration
12:58 minutes
City
San Antonio
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License.
