Authors: K.O. Ademolu, O.O. Oguntayo, B.A. Idowu, G.A. Dedeke

Biological and Environmental Sciences Journal for the Tropics 01/2011; 8:188-193.

Abstract
A study to determine the Influence of starvation on the gut microbial flora and somatic tissue (fe moral muscles, fat body and haemolymph) metabolites of adult male Zonocerus variegatus was

conducted Two hundred and fifty (250) Z. variegatus individuals were collected from the field and randomly divided into five groups A-E based on the starvation duration (0, 24, 48, 72, 96 hours). The colony forming units (cfu) of the gut microbial flora decreased as the starvation period progressed with the midgut recording the highest values. Na+ and Cr were the only inorganic substances significantly (P<0.05) affected by starvation as their concentrations in the tissues dropped significantly during the 96 hours starvation. Similarly, a strong positive relationship,existed between glucose concentration in the fat body and starvation period (+0.61), The tissues glucose concentrations dropped during the 96 hours starvation (in fat body glucose concentration dropped from 28.0mg/dl at 0 hour to 20.0mg/dl at 96 hour) while tissues’ lipid and protein concentrations were not significantly affected. Glucose can then be concluded to be the most utilized metabolite during starvation in Z. variegatus
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