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To study the effects of induced tolerance in silkworm Bombyx mori L. against nuclear polyhedrosis virus
a hybrid silkworms were used. The silkworms were fed with known amount of inactivated nuclear
polyhedral inclusion bodies (PIBs) thrice at various time intervals for induction of tolerance followed by
the challenge inoculation with known amount of live PIBs. The silkworm larvae of the control, induced,
induced followed by live PIBs inoculated and live PIBs inoculated batches were collected daily with a
regular interval of 24 h for haemolymph collection. The collected haemolymph was subjected for
qualitative analysis of amylase, superoxide dismutase and beta esterases. Among the experimental
batches significant variation was observed. Such changes in the experimental larvae, depicting the
possible defense cellular adjustment of the host in response to killed as well as live viral inoculum. Also,
the results pave light towards use of induced tolerance in silkworms against the dreaded nuclear
polyhedrosis.
KEYWORDS: Nuclear polyhedrosis, tolerance, amylase, superoxide dismutase, esterase.