Results of the Study on Beneficial and Toxic Matters Contained in Tissues and Organs of Some Blister Beetles (Meloidae)

Abstract

Blister beetles of 34 species belonging to such genera as Epicauta, Lytta, Mylabris, Meloi, Cerocoma, Zonitis, Apalus, Eusonitis, Megatrachelus, and Stenoria of family Meloidae are distributed in our country [2].These beetles feed flower organs and leaves of plants belonging to families of Leguminosae and Fabaceae and concentrations of organic matters and toxic substances vary with the organs, where they are contained. Proteins account for 49.3% of dry matters of the organs and tissues of Caragana blister beetle (Lytta caragana) fed leaf of the vetch (Vicia sativa) and 60.0% of matters of the beetle fed Astragalus sp. As well, the beetle body contains large amounts of non-essential amino acids including alanine, aspartic acid, serine, cysteine, glutamic acid, arginine and tyrosine, and essential amino acids such as valine, histidine, lysine, leucine, methionine, proline, threonine and phenylalanine [16]. Tocopherol esters contained in Siberian blister beetle (Epicauta sibirica),Caragana beetle (Lytta caragan?) and Frolov blister beetle amount to 214.08 mg/g, 98.83 mg/g and 113.07 mg/g respectively [12]. Chemical nomenclature of cantharidin contained in the organs and tissues of blister beetle is Exo-1,2-cis-den-1-3,6-epoxyhexahydropthalic anhydride and its chemical formula is C10H12O4. Tocopherol, proteins, amino acids, selenium, other macro and micro elements and cantharidin were extracted from dried tissues and organs of beetle of 4 species belonging to family Meloidae, and the effect of tocopherol was tested on sheep, chickens and mice,while cantharidin toxicity or LD50 andLD100 was determined in mice.