Cost-effective culture media for the production of mosquitocidal biopesticides– A new approach for management of environmental waste
Subbiah Poopathi
Unit of Microbiology and Immunology, Vector Control Research Centre (Indian Council of Medical Research), Medical complex, Indira Nagar, Pondicherry-605006, India.
Tel: 91-9443957479; 91-413-2272396; Fax: 91-413-2272041
E-mail address: Subbiahpoopathi@rediffmail.com
Abstract
Human industrial activities inevitably generate industrial wastes, consisting of inorganic and organic materials discharged from factories and food processing industries. Degrading or handling these wastes as unused disposals without acquiring additional benefits has led to an idea to develop a suitable technology to utilize bio-organic wastes. Chicken feathers have been discarded in bulk as waste from poultry processing industries, globally. They normally accumulate structural proteins (keratins) that are resistant to biodegradation. Similarly, coffee husk waste and clarified butter sediment waste from coffee and dairy industries have been discarded. We have successfully produced the biopesticides by culturing Bacillus sphaericus and B. thuringiensis serovar israelensis to synthesize mosquitocidal toxins. Biochemical studies indicate that the mosquitocidal spore/crystal toxins produced from experimental culture media are similar to that of conventional medium. The bacteria produced in these media were bio-assayed against the mosquito vectors and the toxic effect was found to be comparable. Cost-effective analysis indicates that the use of these culture media are highly economical for the industrial production of mosquito pathogenic bacilli. This study is, therefore, very important in developing a suitable method with dual benefit of utilizing the bio-organic waste materials from the environment and for the production of mosquitocidal biopesticides.