Mupli beetle can be used to create metal nanoparticles, says study

Zoologists from SNGS College, Pattambi, find that chemicals produced from the defensive gland of the beetle could be used to produce silver nanoparticles, which can effectively be employed in management of several diseases, including cancer.

A study conducted by a young team of zoologists from SNGS College, Pattambi, has found that the troublesome Mupli beetle (Luprops tristis Fabricius) widely seen across Kerala and Tamil Nadu, especially in rubber plantations, can be used to create metal nanoparticles that can be effectively used in the management of several diseases, including cancer.

The study conducted by A.P. Ajaykumar and eight others was published by Nature Scientific Reports. Dr. Ajaykumar and team found that the chemicals produced from the defensive gland of the Mupli beetle could be used to produce silver nanoparticles.

Mupli beetle, locally called kotteruma, is a troublesome insect as it secretes an odoriferous substance from its defensive gland when agitated. This chemical can cause blisters on human skin.

“We found that the chemical released by the beetle, generally harmful for human skin, can be used for the betterment of humanity,” said Dr. Ajaykumar.

His students O. Sabira, Merin Sebastian, Sudhir R. Varma, K.B. Roy, V.S. Binitha, V. Abdul Rasheed, K.N. Jayaraj, and A.R. Vignesh assisted Dr. Ajaykumar in the study.

The team collected the Mupli beetle from different parts of the State and extracted the secretion without killing the insect. It was the first study using the beetle secretion for nanoparticle synthesis. Studies on other insects such as bees and wasps were carried out before. The study team found that the beetle secretion contained phenolic compounds.

“Our experiments found that the phenolic compounds in the beetle gland has the ability to reduce silver ions into silver nanoparticles, and can act as a good capping and stabilizing agent,” said Dr. Ajaykumar.