Análise de variação da umidade em colônia e desinfecção de ovos para uso em terapia larval

Abstract

For a better use of maggot therapy - a treatment that uses sterile fly larvae in the healing of chronic wounds - a pattern is needed in breeding the colony for immature reproduction. For this, the success in the application and production of the treatment begins in the laboratory. The species used was Chrysomya megacephala, which has great synanthropic and endophytic capacity, and its larvae are characterized by its voracity in the consumption of organic matter. The present study aimed to find the variation of the air humidity that favors the survival of the insects, considering that this factor of ecological control is neglected by the researchers; also aimed to find an adequate food substrate for the development of immature, respecting mainly its nutritional and behavioral characteristics; besides developing a disinfection methodology of the eggs that presented practicality and speed in its development, and effectiveness in its bactericidal activity. Two pre-established humidities, 50 ± 5% and 70 ± 5%, were compared, The data was collected daily along with the survival value of the flies. In the food substrate analysis, two routinely used substrates were compared: the substrate A, a semi-synthetic substrat, composed of milk flour, brewer's yeast, powdered milk, flocculated feed for ornamental fish, paper towel chopped and water and the substrate B, bovine meat. The larval stage of development of both groups was evaluated daily. A disinfection methodology was developed, where the eggs passed through 2% sodium hypochlorite, were transferred to 10% formaldehyde and washed in sterile physiological solution. After washing, the eggs were transferred to Mueller Hington Agar supplemented with 5% sheeps blood at room temperature for 24 hours for further analysis of bacterial growth. Therefore, the highest humidity, 70 ± 5%, proved to be the most suitable for colony maintenance; the larvae that grew in the bovine meat developed more quickly; the disinfection methodology was successful, considering that there was no microbial growth in the analyzed plaques. The results obtained in the experiment were included in the pattern of colony creation, in addition to agreeing with previous studies.