Digestive enzymes of the salivary glands and gut of Mastotermes darwiniensis

Abstract

The cellulase activity of Mastotermes darwiniensis was present, mainly, in the salivary glands (38%) and in the hindgut (40%) when carboxymethylcellulose was used as the substrate. With crystalline cellulose as substrate the distribution was 10 and 73%, respectively. Hydrolysis of crystalline cellulose by the salivary gland extracts produced mainly cellodextrins and cellobiose, whereas the hindgut extract produced mainly glucose and some cellobiose and cellodextrins. Starvation of the termite resulted in the loss of the large protozoa ( Mixotricha paradoxa, Deltotrichonympha operculata, Deltotrichonympha nana and Koruga bonita) by day 4 and a concomitant loss of cellulase activity in the hindgut. Isolated mixed protozoa from the hindgut had a cellulase of high specific activity which accounted for most of the cellulase activity in the hindgut. Cellobiase was present in the salivary glands (37%), midgut (37%) and hindgut (20%). Amylase activity was detected in the salivary glands and constituted 81% of the total amylase activity, with little being found in the hindgut. The enzyme was of the α-type and produced mainly, maltose and maltotriose during the hydrolysis of amylose. Maltase activity was largely present (89%) in the midgut. Invertase activity was distributed mainly in the salivary glands (27%) and the midgut (57%).