HISTOPATHOLOGY OF THE INTERACTION OF BACILLUS THURINGIENSIS AND PLANT EXTRACTS IN THE MIDGUT OF SPODOPTERA FRUGIPERDA (LEPIDOPTERA: NOCTUIDAE)

ABSTRACT The natural insecticidal substances produced by plants in response to insect attack may represent an alternative for the management of pest insects such as Spodoptera frugiperda. This study was therefore aimed to histopathologically analyze the midgut of larvae of S. frugiperda, after ingestion of extracts obtained by maceration and infusion of Petiveria alliacea. Zingiber officinale. Cymbopogon citratus. Malva silvestris. Baccharis genistelloides and Ruta graveolens, and the association of these extracts with Bacillus thuringiensis aizawai. The larvae were treated in vivo with each extract, B. thuringiensis, and the combination of these extracts with the bacteria, and after a reaction kinetics of between 3 to 27 hours they were fixed for the preparation of histological sections, which were stained and analyzed in comparison to the controls with light microscopy. The results showed changes in the histology of the midgut of the larvae of S. frugiperda, 3 hours after application of treatments based on P. alliacea. Z. officinale. C. citratus and M. silvestris, while for B. genistelloides and R. graveolens changes were observed only after 6h. In the interaction of extracts with B. thuringiensis the analysis revealed changes in microvilli, disorganization of the midgut and hypertrophy of epithelial cells that projected into the lumen. The findings show that the histopathological effects of Z. officinale. M. silvestris. R. graveolens and B. genistelloides were more active when compared to extracts of P. alliacea and C. citratus, which showed a positive interaction with B. thuringiensis.