Biochemical effect of carboxylate compounds on certain honey bee enzymes: an in vitro study

ABSTRACT

An in vitro study was conducted to evaluate the biochemical effect of some new carboxylate compounds on certain honey bees [Apis mellifera] enzymes isolated from uninfested and infested by Varroa jacobsoni. The results revealed that ethyl-2-bromomethyl-6,6-dimethyl-3- oxocyclohex-1-ene-1-carboxylate [VI] and 1,4-dioxo-7,7-dimethyl- 4,3,6,7-tetrahydro-2-indanacetic acid [VII] were moderate inhibitors of acetylcholinesterase [AChE] at 10 muM. Ethyl 7,9,9-trimethyl- 1,4-dithiospiro [4,5] dec-6-ene-8-carboxylate III and compound VII stimulated glutathione-S-transferase [GST]. Compound III stimulated carboxylesterase [Carb-ase] and Mg +2 -ATPase at the same concentration. Moreover, the infested A. mellifera were found to possess more enzymatic activities than the uninfested ones. SDS-PAGE analysis of esterase proteins revealed that the b and s differed in both intensity and molecular weight of uninfested and infested A. mellifera