author(s)
C Sundareswari and DNP Sudarmani

abstract
Brinjal (Solanum melongena L) belongs to the family Solanaceae is having considerable importance as a vegetable crop in South East Asia and South Asia. Some of the local names of brinjal in different native languages across the globe are Aubergine, Baingan, Egg plant, Garden egg, Guinea squash, Melongene. In India subcontinent brinjal were cultivated since last 40 centuries. The present study was taken to determine the biochemical changes in the brinjal plant leaves infected with Epilachana beetle (Epilachna vigintioctopunctata). The changes in the biochemical constituents like chlorophyll content, proteins, carbohydrates, phenols, carotenoids, anthrocyanins were analysed. The chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b and total chlorophyll content in uninfected leaf were 0.082 mg/g, 0.136 mg/g and 0.536 mg/g respectively however these chlorophyll substance were decreased in Epilachna infected brinjal leaves were 0.012 mg/g, 0.01 mg/g and 0.025 mg/g respectively. The amount of carbohydrate content in uninfected brinjal leaves was 0.174 mg/g which was diminished to 0.148 mg/g in the infected brinjal leaves. Protein content in the leaves of brinjal infected with Epilachna beetle (0.20 mg/ g) was reduced than in the leaves of uninfected brinjal leaves (0.22 mg/ g). There is a decrease in total phenols content in the Epilachna infected leaves (0.028mg/g) than the uninfected leaves (0.07mg/g). There is a significant decrease in the carotinoids content in Epilachna infected brinjal leaves (0.245 mg/g) than in uninfected healthy brinjal leaves (0.345 mg/g). There is a reduction in anthrocyanin content in epilachna infected leaves (0.207mg/g) than in uninfected brinjal leaves (0.224mg/g).