Nutritional Status of Ferns and Their Relation To Insect Infestation from Darjeeling Foothills and Plains

2004·1.5 MB·

by  A Mukhopadhyay

3
Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society, 101 (2), May-Aug 2004 224-226
NUTRITIONAL STATUS OF FERNS AND THEIR RELATION TO INSECT INFESTATION
FROM DARJEELING FOOTHILLS AND PLAINS'
A. Mukhopadhyay2, AND D. ThaPA2''4
'Accepted June 2002
-’Zoology Department, North Bengal University, District Darjeeling, Pin 734 430, West Bengal, India.
'Email: [email protected]
JEmail [email protected]
:
SomedietaryparametersoffivecommonfernspeciesfromtheDarjeelingfoothillsandplainswereanalysed. Biomolecules
likeproteins,carbohydratesand lipids,aswellasphenols,fibresandmoisturecontentofmaturefrondswerestudiedto
understandthebasisofcolonization byfern-attackinginsects. Highmoisturecontent,alongwith highnutritiveprotein
and carbohydrate levels of mature fronds ofDiplazium esculentum (Retz.) Sw. and Christella crinipes (Hk.) Holt
appearedtobeimportantfactorsindeterminingthepalatabilityand infestationofthefern speciesbyinsectherbivores
Key words: Nutritional status, host fern, insect herbivory
INTRODUCTION assayedfromtheethanolextractasperHon(1974). Moisture
contentwas estimated by drying the fronds inan oven at 50
Ferns are apparently foundtobe underutilized as food °Cfor48hrs. Fibre(non-extractablecomponents)wasassayed
plants by insect herbivores (Soo Hoo and Fraenkel 1964, asperRowelletal.(1983).
Eastop 1973, Hendrix 1980,Cooper-Driver 1978). However,
intensivestudiesoninsect-fernrelationshipsshowthatsome RESULTS
fern species are palatable and well exploited by insects as
foodplant. Thus,theassumptionthat ferns areunderutilized The biochemical analysis ofthe fern species revealed
may be an artifact of inadequate sampling (Hendrix and that although the total storage protein was highest in
Marquis 1983). Nevertheless, it has been adequately Christella crinipes and Dicranopteris linearis the
,
documentedthatcertainchemicals(KarlsonandBode 1969, nutritionallyhigherqualityprotein,albuminandglobulin,far
Daniel and Chandrasekar 1986), as well as physical factors exceededinthefonner.TotalproteininDiplaziumesculentum
(Soo Hoo and Fraenkel 1964) determine the resistance and followed close behind, with a fair amount ofalbumin and
non-palatabilityofferns. globulin. Total protein was least in Microlepia speluncae
,
In a study on ferns from the foothills and plains of andmarginallyhigherin Lindsaeaensifolia.Glutelin,second
Darjeeling, it was noted that the common ferns, Diplazium amongstnutritive proteins (Slansky and Pamzzi 1987), was
esculentum (Retz.) Sw. and Christella crinipes (Hk.) Holt highest in Diplazium esculentum and considerably low for
,
were the most preferred food plants. While a meagre the other fern species. Prolamine, the poorest of storage
infestation of Lindsaea ensifolia Sw and Microlepia proteins, was highest in Dicranopteris linearis followedby
,
speluncae(L.)Moorehasbeenrecorded,noinsectherbivores Lindsaeaensifolia. whereitwasalmosthalfthatofthehighest
haveso farbeenobservedonDicranopterislinearis (Brum. value. Intheotherfernspecies,thevaluewasalmostequalto
F.) Underus. (Mukhopadhyay and Thapa 1994). To thatofL. ensifolia(Table 1).
understand the preference and colonization by insect Total carbohydrate comprised monosaccharides and
herbivores, five common fern species were analysed for oligosaccharides,andstarch. TheywerehighestinL ensifolia
proteins, carbohydrates, lipidsandfibres, moistureandtotal closely followed by Diplazium esculentum and Christella
phenols. crinipes. The level was comparatively low in Microlepia
speluncae and the lowest in Dicranopteris linearis. The
METHODS quantity ofboth the mono- and oligosaccharide is less than
starch in all the species. Maximum starch was found in
Nutritive carbohydrate ofdry fern powder ofmiddle- ChristellacrinipesfollowedbyDiplaziumesculentum. Itwas
aged fronds was estimatedusing the techniques ofPlummer comparatively less in the otherspecies (Table 1). Total lipid
(1979)andAnanthakrishnan( 1990). Proteinwasextractedas was highest in Lindsaea ensifolia, while it was lowest in
per Draper (1976), and estimated as in Lowry etal. (1951). Dicranopterislinearis.TotallipidwasalmosthalfofLindsaea
Total lipid was estimated by the standard gravimetric ensifolia in Christella crinipes followed by D. esculentum
techniqueusingpetroleumetherassolvent.Totalphenolwas andM. speluncae(Table 1).
NUTRITIONALSTATUS OF FERNSAND THEIR RELATIONTO INSECTINFESTATION
Table 1: Comparison of basic nutritional components (mg/g) offive fern species (Mean ±SE)
Fern species Albumin+ Glutelin Prolamine Total Monosaccharide + Starch Total Total
Globulin Protein Oligosaccharide Carbohydrate Lipid
Diplazium 96.85 ±0.66 68.09 ±0.23 19.37 ±0.05 184 32 ±0.58 96.69 ±0.64 126.9 ±0.34 223.65 ±0.90 23.03 ± 0.85
esculentum
Christella 163.26 ±1.21 10.12 ±0.13 18.17 ±0.02 190.36 ±0.66 89.78 ±0.51 130.9 ±0.05 220.76 ±0.52 36.52 ±1.17
crinipes
Lindsaea 69.18 ±0.40 8.40 ±0.13 36.37 ±0.02 113.97±0.52 133.5 ±0.44 94.66 ±0.21 228.22 ±0.97 64.10 ±1.08
ensifolia
Microlepia 50.20 ±0.48 9.55 ±0.08 15.99 ±0.04 75.77 ±0.46 85.96 ±0.43 104.5 ±0.19 190.48 ±0.57 21.80 ±0.35
speluncae
Dicranopteris 106.04 ±0.73 3.77 ±0.03 80.38 ±0.07 190.21 ±0.71 53.83 ±0.09 90.89 ±0.14 144 73 ±0.17 7.75 ±0.24
linearis
Percentage of moisture was highest in Diplazium and miners. The fern speciespreferredandattacked by most
esculentum closelyfollowedbyMicrolepiaspeluncae. The of the insects was Diplazium esculentum followed by
, ,
moisture content of Christellci crinipes and Lindsaeci Christella crinipes. The other species were less attacked or
ensifolici was slightly reduced with an overlapping value, colonizedbyonly a few specialized insect herbivores.
whileDicranopterislinearishadthe least. Totalphenol was
estimated to be highest in Lindsaea ensifolia, followed by DISCUSSION
Christella crinipes Diplazium esculentum and
,
Dicranopteris linearis. Microlepia speluncae had a In ferns, higherconcentration ofprotein and nitrogen
remarkablylowphenolcontent.Thepercentageoffibre (non- plays a significant synergistic role with other chemicals in
extractable components) was estimated to be the highest in attracting jassids and aphids (Daniel and Chandrasekhar
Lindsaea ensifolia and lowest in Dicranopteris linearis. 1986). Species like Lindsaea ensifolia and Microlepia
The fibre content ofDiplazium esculentum and Microlepia speluncae with low levels oftotal protein largely remained
speluncae had intermediate and overlapping ranges unexploitedby insects. Dicranopterislineariswithhightotal
(Table2). protein was possibly unpalatable because of its low
Observation ofthe fern vegetation from the foothills carbohydrate and moisture content. A low concentration of
and plains of Darjeeling have confirmed an association of carbohydrate has been reported to attract aphids (Daniel
60insectspeciesfromtheordersLepidoptera(12),Coleoptera andChandrasekar 1986). However, inthis study, maximum
(19), Hemiptera (20), Hymenoptera (4), Orthoptera (2), insect attack was recorded on Diplazium esculentum and
Thysanoptera(2)andDiptera(1)(MukhopadhyayandThapa Christellacrinipes,both withhightotal carbohydrates. This,
1994). Ofthese, 16specieswereregularfernfeeders,suckers however, wasmatchedwithhighnutritionalprotein andlow
lipidlevels.
Table 2 Comparison ofsome dietary factors (Mean ±SE) and Higherconcentrationofphenolsmayactasarepellent
percentage occurrence of insect-herbivores on five fern species
to insects because oftheir toxic effect, and this seemed true
Fern species Total Water (%) Fibre (%) Insect for Lindsaea ensifolia. This species and Dicranopteris
(mg/g) occurrence (%) linearis had the highest and the lowest fibre content
Diplazium 6.90 81.30 50.47 87.50 respectively,butsincebothwereunderutilized,fibrecontent
esculentum ±0.20 ±0.29 ±0.27 alonemightnotbe responsible forthepreferenceoffernasa
Christella 7.46 72.13 54.43 43.75 food plant. Rowell etal. (1983) in their study on fern-insect
crinipes ±0.01 ±0.59 ±0.38 faunasuggestedthatthechemicalconstituentsoffern fronds,
Lindsaea 8.15 71.84 56.07 6.25 like nitrogen, phenol, tannin, and fibre, had little impact on
ensifolia ±0.35 ±0.54 ±0.37 their palatabihty. In the present study, a high percentage of
Microlepia 1.85 79.86 50.12 6.25 moisture in D esculentum along with enhanced protein and
speluncae ±0.02 ±0.41 ±0.35 carbohydrate levels, might have been the deciding factors
Dicranopteris 6.68 57.83 44.39 0 for its greater palatability (81.3%), and overexploitation by
linearis ±0.03 ±0.60 ±0.35
insects.
1 Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc., 101 (2), May-Aug 2004 225
NUTRITIONAL STATUS OF FERNSANDTHEIR RELATION TO INSECTINFESTATION
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