Abstract: When L-canavanine was injected into the body cavity of Ostrinia furnacalitlarva at doses of 0.25-1.00mg/g body weight, it considerably depressed the amount of hemolymph proteins and significantly increased the level of hemolymph freeamino acids, among which proline and glutamic acid were most markedly affected.The whole-body acid phosphatase activity was elevated, while the whole-body arginase activity and urea concentrations decreased. There was no significant changes in uric acid. Incorporations of³H-leucine into trichloroacetic acid-insoluble substanceswere significantly reduced in the ovary or male accessory glands of adults from larvae treated with canavanine. It was suggested that the toxicity of canavanine was much dependent on the disturbance of protein and nitrogen metabonism, which in turn affects a series of changes of physiological processes.

Key words: Ostrinta furnacalis——L-canavanine——hemolymph proteins—— amino acids