This work illustrates the effect of cowpea proteinase inhibitors against Nephopteryx eugraphella (sapota shoot webber), a devastating pest of the sapota field, which often causes out break. The gut proteinase enzyme was isolated from Nephopteryx eugraphella larvae and the cowpea plant proteinase inhibitors were isolated from cowpea plant leaf. The proteinase enzyme of the larvae was arrested by the proteinase inhibitors of the cowpea. It was demonstrated by caseinolytic and azo-caseinolytic methods. This study confirmed that 89.80% of the proteinase enzyme inhibition occurred in caseinolytic assay and 91% of inhibition in azo-caseinolytic assay. A feeding assay has also been conducted using cowpea plant extract incorporated in the artificial diet which showed 60 percentage of weight reduction of the larvae within eight days.
Cowpea proteinase inhibitors, Nephopteryx eugraphella, sapota
