Akhilesh V. P.’s research while affiliated with University of Calicut and other places

Lepidoptera is one of the largest orders of insects that include moths and butterflies. Most of the lepidopterans are morphologically similar, therefore the identification of these insect are tedious using morphotaxonomy and that is detrimental in designing a better strategy to control and conserve them. These are an extremely important group of 'model' organisms used to investigate many areas of biological research, including such diverse fields as navigation, pest control, embryology, mimicry, evolution, genetics, population dynamics and biodiversity conservation. Knowledge of lepidopteran genomics will create new methods of insect pest management and will contribute to sustainable agriculture, protection of the environment and the maintenance of biodiversity. In this study we have amplified cytochrome oxidase I gene of Papilio polytes for species identification and constructed phylogenetic tree for recognizing evolutionary relationship.

Podagrica fuscicornis referred to as Flea beetles are members of Family Chrysomelidae (leaf beetles) and occur in all plant life habitats. Podagrica species arise most frequently inside the open, namely within the location of grasslands, forests and water bodies. Molecular characterization and DNA barcoding is a taxonomic method that makes use of a short genetic marker in an insect DNA to identify a species, which include an unknown species. DNA barcoding for species identification of the Flea beetles, P. fuscicornis isolated from Malappuram district (Kerala: India) by using the mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase subunit I (CO I) gene have been checked. DNA sequence similarity searches of COI gene of P. fuscicornis (NCBI GenBank Accession No. KX 778629) revealed that it is genetically 87% identical to Podagrica fuscipes (Accession No. KF 655901) cytochrome oxidase I gene collected from Spain. The results indicate slow evolution of the CO I sequences among the morphologically distinct and geographically isolated group of P. fuscicornis.

Molecular taxonomy and phylogenetic status of Metaleptea brevicornis (Orthoptera: Acrididae) using cytochrome oxidase subunit I gene.

Podagrica fuscicornis referred to as Flea beetles are members of Family Chrysomelidae (leaf beetles) and occur in all plant life habitats. Podagrica species arise most frequently inside the open, namely within the location of grasslands, forests and water bodies. Molecular characterization and DNA barcoding is a taxonomic method that makes use of a short genetic marker in an insect DNA to identify a species, which include an unknown species. DNA barcoding for species identification of the Flea beetles, P. fuscicornis isolated from Malappuram district (Kerala: India) by using the mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase subunit I (CO I) gene have been checked. DNA sequence similarity searches of COI gene of P. fuscicornis (NCBI GenBank Accession No. KX 778629) revealed that it is genetically 87% identical to Podagrica fuscipes (Accession No. KF 655901) cytochrome oxidase I gene collected from Spain. The results indicate slow evolution of the CO I sequences among the morphologically distinct and geographically isolated group of P. fuscicornis.

Lepidoptera is one of the largest orders of insects that include moths and butterflies. Most of the lepidopterans are morphologically similar, therefore the identification of these insect are tedious using morphotaxonomy and that is detrimental in designing a better strategy to control and conserve them. These are an extremely important group of 'model' organisms used to investigate many areas of biological research, including such diverse fields as navigation, pest control, embryology, mimicry, evolution, genetics, population dynamics and biodiversity conservation. Knowledge of lepidopteran genomics will create new methods of insect pest management and will contribute to sustainable agriculture, protection of the environment and the maintenance of biodiversity. In this study we have amplified cytochrome oxidase I gene of Papilio polytes for species identification and constructed phylogenetic tree for recognizing evolutionary relationship.

Ageing is a natural life process whose manifestations are familiar and unambiguous. Oxidative modification of cellular molecules by reactive oxygen species and impaired antioxidant mechanism play unique role in a variety of age-associated degenerations. As a defence, cells have developed antioxidant defence system of a group of enzymes including catalases and peroxidases destroying toxic molecules. The natural antioxidant mechanism of an organism may be insufficient and external dietary administration of anti oxidant compounds play vital role in defence against ageing. In the present study, the antioxidant effects of reducing amino acid tryptophan in the final instar larvae of silkworm, Bombyx mori. The turnover of total protein, amino acid and glucose was evaluated. The total haemolymph protein of treated larvae showed 34-94% increase when compared to normal and the pattern of the changes in the levels of fat body protein was same but with a change of 12 fold. The total content of free amino acids in the haemolymph of normal and treated larvae increased gradually from the period of 0 h to 96 h with a peak value at 96 h and then decreased. The total content of free amino acids in the fat body is much less than that found in the haemolymph. The peak glucose levels in the total larval haemolymph were almost 28 times to that found at the early stage in normal larvae and approximately 12 times in tryptophan treated larvae. The fat body glucose level showed a consistent reduction in the treated larvae.