Sains Malaysiana 50(1)(2021): 63-72

http://dx.doi.org/10.17576/jsm-2021-5001-07

The Morphological and Biochemical Effects of Feeding Hooker's Pitcher with Formica fusca or Calliphora vicina Larvae

(Kesan Morfologi dan Biokimia terhadap Pemberian Makan Periuk Kera Hooker dengan Formica fusca atau Larva Calliphora vicina)

JACEK WRÓBEL¹, MARIOLA WRÓBEL², URSZULA PRZYBYLSKA¹ & ARKADIUSZ TELESIŃSKI¹*

¹Department of Bioengineering, West Pomeranian University of Technology in Szczecin, Faculty of Environmental Management and Agriculture, 17 Słowackiego St, 71-434 Szczecin, Poland

²Department of Landscape Architecture, West Pomeranian University of Technology in Szczecin, Faculty of Environmental Management and Agriculture, 3A Papieża Pawła VI St, 71-459 Szczecin, Poland

Received: 3 September 2018/Accepted: 16 Jun 2020

ABSTRACT

The aim of this study was to determine if feeding Hooker's pitcher (Nepenthes × hookeriana) with blowfly larvae (Calliphora vicina Rob-Desvoidy) or ants (Formica fusca L.) affected the plant’s biometric and biochemical parameters. The research included measurements of length and width of the laminae and pitchers, and the total contents of the ash, assimilation pigments, polyphenols, and flavonoids. These parameters were measured 30 days after the last feeding. This study demonstrated that feeding the plants with blowfly larvae resulted in increases in the lengths and widths of both the laminae and pitchers. Moreover, the laminae had reduced carotenoid content after feeding with blowfly larvae and ants whereas the pitchers of Hooker’s pitcher had increased chlorophyll and carotenoid content after feeding with blowfly larvae. Feeding Hooker’s pitcher with blowfly larvae also resulted in a reduction of the total polyphenol content in the laminae whereas the total flavonoid content increased in both the laminae and pitchers of Hooker’s pitcher. Feeding Nepenthes × hookeriana with insects ensures that their nutritional needs are met and leads to pitchers with good physiological condition.

Keywords: Assimilation pigments; Hooker’s pitcher; laminae; pitchers; polyphenols

ABSTRAK

Tujuan kajian ini adalah untuk menentukan sama ada dengan memberi makan periuk kera Hooker (Nepenthes × hookeriana) dengan larva langau (Calliphora vicina Rob-Desvoidy) atau semut (Formica fusca L.) dapat mempengaruhi parameter biometrik dan biokimia tumbuhan tersebut. Penyelidikan ini merangkumi pengukuran panjang dan lebar lamina serta periuk kera dan juga kandungan keseluruhan abu, pigmen asimilasi, polifenol serta flavonoid. Parameter ini diukur 30 hari selepas pemberian makanan terakhir. Kajian ini menunjukkan bahawa pemberian makanan kepada tumbuhan ini dengan larva langau meningkatkan panjang dan lebar kedua-dua lamina dan periuk kera. Tambahan pula, kandungan karotenoid lamina berkurangan setelah diberi larva langau dan semut sedangkan terdapat peningkatan kandungan klorofil dan karotenoid selepas periuk kera Hooker diberi larva langau. Pemberian larva langau kepada periuk kera Hooker mengakibatkan pengurangan jumlah kandungan polifenol dalam lamina manakala jumlah kandungan flavonoid meningkat dalam kedua-dua lamina dan periuk kera Hooker. Pemberian serangga kepada Nepenthes × hookeriana dapat memastikan bahawa keperluan pemakanan mereka dipenuhi dan menghasilkan periuk kera dengan keadaan fisiologi yang baik.

Kata kunci: Lamina; periuk kera; periuk kera Hooker; pigmen asimilasi; polifenol

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*Corresponding author; email: arkadiusz.telesinski@zut.edu.pl