Investigation of the Effect of Temperature and Time on the Eggs and Larva of Lucilia Sericata (Diptera: Calliphoridae) for Maggot Debridement Therapy in Laboratory Conditions Publisher



L Khatibi LAYA ; K Akbarzadeh KAMRAN ; Y Rassi YAVAR ; M Baniardalan MOJGAN ; M Akbari MORTEZA ; A Rafinejad ATIYEH ; Be Pour Baher ESMAIL ; J Rafinejad JAVAD
Source: Punjab University Journal of Zoology Published:2025

Abstract

Maggot debridement therapy is a controlled myiasis used as an auxiliary method to debride chronically infected wounds and ulcers that contain necrotic tissues without suitable surgical conditions. Today, maggot therapy is used as a simple, fast and effective method with low costs and numerous studies have demonstrated its efficacy. To determine the shelf life of L. sericata eggs and larvae at refrigerator temperature, eggs and larvae were divided into sterile and non-sterile groups. Experiments on batches of 100 eggs and larvae on 8cm plates at three different temperatures of 2, 4 and 6 °C and at three time periods of 24, 48 and 72 h, respectively, and three repetitions of the experiment for each temperature and time had been conducted. The egg sterilization protocol was done with 1% sodium sulphite solution in physiological serum under the hood. The next step, which includes placing the eggs on the blood agar medium at predetermined temperatures and periods, was performed. The detachment of eggs from the blood agar medium and washing them using sterile distilled water were done. The results of the examination of 5400 egg samples, at three time periods (24, 48 and 72 h) showed that the most appropriate time for hatching eggs is 72 h (77.58%). Also, the most appropriate time for storing larvae is 24 h (79.93%). The most suitable temperature for egg hatching was 6 degrees (88.14%). The most suitable temperature for larvae is 6 °C (82.95%). The most appropriate time for all three temperatures was 72 h (80.38%), and the most suitable temperature for all three times was 6°C (86.07%). According to the our study, sterility or non-sterility had no significant effect on the hatching rate of eggs. However, persistence evaluation experiments show that sterile larvae have a longer shelf-life than non-sterile groups. Novelty Statement | This is the first comprehensive assessment of the effect of temperature and time on sterile and non-sterile eggs and larvae of L. sericata in Iran, adding valuable data to the field of Maggot Debridement Therapy. © 2025 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.