Sub-lethal Agrochemical Stress in Bombyx Mori: Monovalent Ionic Dyshomeostasis and Somatic Stunting Induced by Pyrethroid and Organophosphate Exposure

Sushma Pal; Dr. Salil Singh

Sub-lethal Agrochemical Stress in Bombyx Mori: Monovalent Ionic Dyshomeostasis and Somatic Stunting Induced by Pyrethroid and Organophosphate Exposure

Author(s)	Sushma Pal, Dr. Salil Singh
Country	India
Abstract	The encroachment of synthetic agrochemicals into sericultural zones poses a critical threat to the domesticated silkworm, Bombyx mori. This study investigates the physiological and bio-economic impacts of sub-lethal pyrethroid (Lambda-cyhalothrin, Cypermethrin) and organophosphate (Chlorpyrifos) exposure on 5th instar larvae. Cohorts were exposed to concentration thresholds ranging from 0 to 200 ppm. Haemolymph extraction and biometric analyses revealed a severe, dose-dependent metabolic and neuro-ionic collapse. Toxicological stress induced profound monovalent ionic dyshomeostasis, characterized by a rapid depletion of extracellular sodium (Na+) and a compensatory accumulation of potassium (K+). Consequently, the neurophysiological K+/Na+ ratio escalated catastrophically from a pristine baseline of 2.70 in controls to a critical 13.30 at the 200 ppm threshold, indicating severe voltage-gated sodium channel disruption. This ionic crisis triggered "Metabolic Bankruptcy," forcing larvae to divert vital bioenergetic resources (ATP and amino acids) away from the silk gland to the fat body for xenobiotic detoxification. Phenotypically, this manifested as severe somatic stunting, with larval growth curves flattening abruptly post-Day 3. Furthermore, divalent cations (Ca2+ and Mg2+) were depleted by approximately 50%, fundamentally crippling structural protein synthesis. The ultimate bio-economic consequence was a drastic collapse in commercial viability; the Cocoon Shell Ratio (SR%) plummeted from 19.85% to an unviable 8.45%, accompanied by an 85% rate of delayed pupal necrosis and malformation. These findings demonstrate that sub-lethal chemical trespassing destroys the commercial utility of B. mori, underscoring the urgent regulatory need for Sericulture-Specific Maximum Residue Limits (MRLs) calibrated to invertebrate neuro-physiological sensitivities.
Keywords	Bombyx mori, Lambda-cyhalothrin, Chlorpyrifos, Ionic Dyshomeostasis, Somatic Stunting, Cocoon Shell Ratio (SR%).
Field	Biology > Zoology
Published In	Volume 8, Issue 5, September-October 2026
Published On	2026-09-30

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Sub-lethal Agrochemical Stress in Bombyx Mori: Monovalent Ionic Dyshomeostasis and Somatic Stunting Induced by Pyrethroid and Organophosphate Exposure

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