Biochemical Effects of Dietary Piperazine on Galleria mellonella L. (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) as a Model Organism

Insecticides used to control pests are one of the most important causes of environmental pollution. Therefore, eco-friendly novel chemicals with low toxicity to mammals are investigated in pest management. In the present study, we investigated the effects of piperazine, a clinically important drug, on the model pest Galleria mellonella (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae). The experimental results showed that increasing concentrations of piperazine caused cell damage in G. mellonella hemolymph. Cell damage indicators, such as, aspartate transferase, alanine transferase, and lactate dehydrogenase levels were altered following exposure. Moreover, creatine kinase, alkaline phosphatase, amylase, gamma glutamyl transferase and acetylcholinesterase in larval hemolymph also were adversely affected. In overall, these findings demonstrate, these results show that well-adjusted piperazine concentrations as a potential alternative chemical for pest management.