Sialic acid and Sialidase profiles of the mosquito <i>Culex quinquefasciatus</i> Say 1823 in Samaru Zaria, Nigeria.

Abstract

Sialic acid and sialidase profiles were determined from Culex quinquefasciatus Say 1823 developmental stages using Thiobarbituric Acid method. The larval and pupal stages were collected from natural breeding sites in Samaru village Zaria Nigeria and reared to adulthood in the Department of Biological Sciences, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria. Both sexes that emerged were fed with blood donated by a pigeon and on 7 % sucrose solution soaked in cotton wool, respectively. The first filial progenies were used in the investigation. Sialic acid and sialidase concentrations were determined after hydrolysis of macerated mosquito developmental stage, in 1.5 ml eppendorf plastic tube with pistle, of 5 batches of eggs, 50 each of 1st, 2nd , 3rd and 4th larval instars, 50 pupa and 50 female adults at 80ºC in a water bath for one hour. The values of sialic acid and sialidase for each developmental stage obtained from the spectrophometer were plotted against the standard curve to obtain the concentration in µmoles/min. The higher amounts of sialic acid (0.484 µmoles/min) and sialidase (1. 293 µmoles/min) were detected in the adult stage while the lowest amounts of 0.138 µmoles/min and 0.444 µmoles/min were found in the egg stage. The amount of sialic acid was lower than sialidase in each developmental stage of the mosquito. The study revealed that sialic acid and sialidase are present in varying amounts in the developmental stages of the insect.