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Toxics
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Detoxification Mechanisms in Insects
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Detoxification Mechanisms in Insects

A special issue of Toxics (ISSN 2305-6304). This special issue belongs to the section "Toxicity Reduction and Environmental Remediation".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (26 May 2023) | Viewed by 10764

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Ahmed Aioub

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Pesticide Biochemistry and Environmental Toxicology, Department of Plant Protection, Faculty of Agriculture, Zagaziz University, Zagazig 44519, Egypt
Interests: insecticide toxicology; insecticide resistance; biochemistry; enzymes; biopesticides; enzyme inhibitors
Prof. Dr. Mohamed-Bassem Ali Ashour

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Pesticide Biochemistry and Environmental Toxicology, Department of Plant Protection, Faculty of Agriculture, Zagaziz University, Zagazig 44519, Egypt
Interests: toxicity and biotransformation of agrochemicals; molecular diagnosis of pesticides and biocontrol agents toxicity and resistance; health and environmental risk assessment of pesticides; applications of biotechnology in pest control

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Insects are faced with numerous toxins (xenobiotics) as they go through life, some produced naturally by plants (sometimes called allelochemicals) and some produced by humans (insecticides). To survive the natural toxins, insects have evolved various detoxification mechanisms. These same mechanisms also sometimes allow insects to overcome insecticides, and the level and type of mechanisms differ greatly. This results in differing toxicity among different stages, populations, and species of insects. Knowledge of detoxification allows us to better incorporate chemical resistance mechanisms in crop plants, and to better select insecticides that will be effective when applied.

Detoxification can be divided into phase I (primary) and phase II (secondary) processes. Phase I reactions consist of oxidation, hydrolysis, and reduction. The phase I metabolites are sometimes polar enough to be excreted, but usually are further converted by phase II reactions. In phase II reactions, the polar products are conjugated with a variety of endogenous compounds, such as sugars, sulfate, phosphate, amino acids, or glutathione, and subsequently excreted. Phase I reactions usually are responsible for decreasing biological activity of a toxicant and therefore the enzymes involved are rate limiting with respect to toxicity.

Dr. Ahmed Aioub
Prof. Dr. Mohamed-Bassem Ali Ashour
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Toxics is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

 

Keywords

  • detoxification enzymes
  • insecticides resistance
  • toxicology
  • xenobiotics
  • cytochrome P450
  • glutathione-S-transferase

Published Papers (6 papers)

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Editorial

Jump to: Research

2 pages, 197 KiB  
Editorial
Editorial for the Special Issue “Detoxification Mechanisms in Insects”
by Ahmed A. A. Aioub and Mohamed-Bassem Ali Ashour
Toxics 2023, 11(8), 691; https://doi.org/10.3390/toxics11080691 - 10 Aug 2023
Viewed by 865
Abstract
Insects are faced with numerous toxins (xenobiotics) as they go through life, some produced naturally by plants (sometimes called allelochemicals) and some produced by humans (insecticides) [...] Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Detoxification Mechanisms in Insects)

Research

Jump to: Editorial

16 pages, 2216 KiB  
Article
Identification and Characterization of Glutathione S-transferase Genes in Spodoptera frugiperda (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) under Insecticides Stress
by Ahmed A. A. Aioub, Ahmed S. Hashem, Ahmed H. El-Sappah, Amged El-Harairy, Amira A. A. Abdel-Hady, Laila A. Al-Shuraym, Samy Sayed, Qiulan Huang and Sarah I. Z. Abdel-Wahab
Toxics 2023, 11(6), 542; https://doi.org/10.3390/toxics11060542 - 19 Jun 2023
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2128
Abstract
Insect glutathione S-transferases (GSTs) serve critical roles in insecticides and other forms of xenobiotic chemical detoxification. The fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda (J. E. Smith), is a major agricultural pest in several countries, especially Egypt. This is the first study to identify and characterize [...] Read more.
Insect glutathione S-transferases (GSTs) serve critical roles in insecticides and other forms of xenobiotic chemical detoxification. The fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda (J. E. Smith), is a major agricultural pest in several countries, especially Egypt. This is the first study to identify and characterize GST genes in S. frugiperda under insecticidal stress. The present work evaluated the toxicity of emamectin benzoate (EBZ) and chlorantraniliprole (CHP) against the third-instar larvae of S. frugiperda using the leaf disk method. The LC50 values of EBZ and CHP were 0.029 and 1.250 mg/L after 24 h of exposure. Moreover, we identified 31 GST genes, including 28 cytosolic and 3 microsomal SfGSTs from a transcriptome analysis and the genome data of S. frugiperda. Depending on the phylogenetic analysis, sfGSTs were divided into six classes (delta, epsilon, omega, sigma, theta, and microsomal). Furthermore, we investigated the mRNA levels of 28 GST genes using qRT-PCR under EBZ and CHP stress in the third-instar larvae of S. frugiperda. Interestingly, SfGSTe10 and SfGSTe13 stood out with the highest expression after the EBZ and CHP treatments. Finally, a molecular docking model was constructed between EBZ and CHP using the most upregulated genes (SfGSTe10 and SfGSTe13) and the least upregulated genes (SfGSTs1 and SfGSTe2) of S. frugiperda larvae. The molecular docking study showed EBZ and CHP have a high binding affinity with SfGSTe10, with docking energy values of −24.41 and −26.72 kcal/mol, respectively, and sfGSTe13, with docking energy values of −26.85 and −26.78 kcal/mol, respectively. Our findings are important for understanding the role of GSTs in S. frugiperda regarding detoxification processes for EBZ and CHP. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Detoxification Mechanisms in Insects)
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19 pages, 6285 KiB  
Article
Insecticidal Mechanism of Botanical Crude Extracts and Their Silver Nanoliquids on Phenacoccus solenopsis
by Mariappan Madasamy, Kitherian Sahayaraj, Samy M. Sayed, Laila A. Al-Shuraym, Parthas Selvaraj, Sayed-Ashraf El-Arnaouty and Koilraj Madasamy
Toxics 2023, 11(4), 305; https://doi.org/10.3390/toxics11040305 - 25 Mar 2023
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1501
Abstract
In recent years, intensive studies have been carried out on the management of agricultural insect pests using botanical insecticides in order to decrease the associated environmental hazards. Many studies have tested and characterized the toxic action of plant extracts. Four plant extracts ( [...] Read more.
In recent years, intensive studies have been carried out on the management of agricultural insect pests using botanical insecticides in order to decrease the associated environmental hazards. Many studies have tested and characterized the toxic action of plant extracts. Four plant extracts (Justicia adhatoda, Ipomea carnea, Pongamia glabra, and Annona squamosa) containing silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) were studied for their effects on Phenacoccus solenopsis Tinsley (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae) using the leaf dip method. The effects were estimated based on assays of hydrolytic enzyme (amylase, protease, lipase, acid phosphatase, glycosidase, trehalase, phospholipase A2, and invertase) and detoxification enzyme (esterase and lactate dehydrogenase) levels; macromolecular content (total body protein, carbohydrate, and lipid); and protein profile. The results show that the total body of P. solenopsis contains trypsin, pepsin, invertase, lipase, and amylase, whereas J. adathoda and I. carnea aqueous extracts considerably decreased the protease and phospholipase A2 levels, and A. squamosa aqueous extract dramatically increased the trehalase level in a dose-dependent manner. The enzyme levels were dramatically decreased by P. glabura-AgNPs (invertase, protease, trehalase, lipase, and phospholipase A2); I. carnea-AgNPs (invertase, lipase, and phospholipase A2); A. squamosa-AgNPs (protease, phospholipase A2); and J. adathoda-AgNPs (protease, lipase, and acid phosphatase). Plant extracts and their AgNPs significantly reduced P. solenopsis esterase and lactate dehydrogenase levels in a dose-dependent manner. At higher concentrations (10%), all of the investigated plants and their AgNPs consistently decreased the total body carbohydrate, protein, and fat levels. It is clear that the plant extracts, either crude or together with AgNPs, may result in the insects having inadequate nutritional capacity, which will impact on all critical actions of the affected hydrolytic and detoxication enzymes. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Detoxification Mechanisms in Insects)
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10 pages, 908 KiB  
Article
Enhancing the Toxicity of Cypermethrin and Spinosad against Spodoptera littoralis (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) by Inhibition of Detoxification Enzymes
by Marwa H. El-Sayed, Mohamed M. A. Ibrahim, Ahmed E. A. Elsobki and Ahmed A. A. Aioub
Toxics 2023, 11(3), 215; https://doi.org/10.3390/toxics11030215 - 24 Feb 2023
Cited by 9 | Viewed by 1822
Abstract
The extensive use of wide-ranging insecticides in agricultural activities may develop resistance in insects. The dipping technique was utilized for examining changes in detoxifying enzyme levels in Spodoptera littoralis L. induced by cypermethrin (CYP) and spinosad (SPD) with and without a combination of [...] Read more.
The extensive use of wide-ranging insecticides in agricultural activities may develop resistance in insects. The dipping technique was utilized for examining changes in detoxifying enzyme levels in Spodoptera littoralis L. induced by cypermethrin (CYP) and spinosad (SPD) with and without a combination of three enzyme inhibitors: triphenyl phosphate (TPP), diethyl maleate (DEM), and piperonyl butoxide (PBO), at 70 μg/mL. PBO, DEM, and TPP showed 50% mortality against larvae at 236.2, 324.5, and 245.8 μg/mL, respectively. The LC50 value of CYP on S. littoralis larvae reduced from 2.86 μg/mL to 1.58, 2.26, and 1.96 μg/mL, while the LC50 value of SPD declined from 3.27 μg/mL to 2.34, 2.56, and 2.53, with the addition of PBO, DEM, and TPP, respectively, 24 h after treatment. Moreover, the activity of carboxylesterase (CarE), glutathione S-transferase (GST), and cytochrome P450 monooxygenase (Cyp 450) was significantly inhibited (p < 0.05) by TPP, DEM, PBO plus CYP, and SPD in S. littoralis larvae in comparison with tested insecticides alone. These findings suggested that three enzyme inhibitors play a major role in increasing the toxicity of CYP and SPD in S. littoralis and will provide insight into how to overcome insecticide resistance in insects. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Detoxification Mechanisms in Insects)
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14 pages, 1662 KiB  
Article
The Comparative Toxicity, Biochemical and Physiological Impacts of Chlorantraniliprole and Indoxacarb on Mamestra brassicae (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae)
by Moataz A. M. Moustafa, Eman A. Fouad, Emad Ibrahim, Anna Laura Erdei, Zsolt Kárpáti and Adrien Fónagy
Toxics 2023, 11(3), 212; https://doi.org/10.3390/toxics11030212 - 24 Feb 2023
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 1461
Abstract
Background: The cabbage moth, Mamestra brassicae, is a polyphagous pest that attacks several crops. Here, the sublethal and lethal effects of chlorantraniliprole and indoxacarb were investigated on the developmental stages, detoxification enzymes, reproductive activity, calling behavior, peripheral physiology, and pheromone titer of M. [...] Read more.
Background: The cabbage moth, Mamestra brassicae, is a polyphagous pest that attacks several crops. Here, the sublethal and lethal effects of chlorantraniliprole and indoxacarb were investigated on the developmental stages, detoxification enzymes, reproductive activity, calling behavior, peripheral physiology, and pheromone titer of M. brasssicae. Methods: To assess pesticide effects, the second instar larvae were maintained for 24 h on a semi-artificial diet containing insecticides at their LC10, LC30, and LC50 concentrations. Results: M. brassicae was more susceptible to chlorantraniliprole (LC50 = 0.35 mg/L) than indoxacarb (LC50 = 1.71 mg/L). A significantly increased developmental time was observed with both insecticides at all tested concentrations but decreases in pupation rate, pupal weight, and emergence were limited to the LC50 concentration. Reductions in both the total number of eggs laid per female and the egg viability were observed with both insecticides at their LC30 and LC50 concentrations. Both female calling activity and the sex pheromone (Z11-hexadecenyl acetate and hexadecenyl acetate) titer were significantly reduced by chlorantraniliprole in LC50 concentration. Antennal responses of female antennae to benzaldehyde and 3-octanone were significantly weaker than controls after exposure to the indoxocarb LC50 concentration. Significant reductions in the enzymatic activity of glutathione S-transferases, mixed-function oxidases, and carboxylesterases were observed in response to both insecticides. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Detoxification Mechanisms in Insects)
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12 pages, 307 KiB  
Article
Monitoring Resistance and Biochemical Studies of Three Egyptian Field Strains of Spodoptera littoralis (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) to Six Insecticides
by Moataz A. M. Moustafa, Rasha I. A. Moteleb, Yehia F. Ghoneim, Sameh Sh. Hafez, Reham E. Ali, Essam E. A. Eweis and Nancy N. Hassan
Toxics 2023, 11(3), 211; https://doi.org/10.3390/toxics11030211 - 24 Feb 2023
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 1404
Abstract
Background: Spodoptera littoralis (Boisd.) is a prominent agricultural insect pest that has developed resistance to a variety of insecticide classes. In this study, the resistance of three field strains of S. littoralis, collected over three consecutive seasons (2018 to 2020) from three Egyptian [...] Read more.
Background: Spodoptera littoralis (Boisd.) is a prominent agricultural insect pest that has developed resistance to a variety of insecticide classes. In this study, the resistance of three field strains of S. littoralis, collected over three consecutive seasons (2018 to 2020) from three Egyptian Governorates (El-Fayoum, Behera and Kafr El-Shiekh), to six insecticides was monitored. Methods: Laboratory bioassays were carried out using the leaf-dipping method to examine the susceptibility of the laboratory and field strains to the tested insecticides. Activities of detoxification enzymes were determined in an attempt to identify resistance mechanisms. Results: The results showed that LC50 values of the field strains ranged from 0.0089 to 132.24 mg/L, and the corresponding resistance ratio (RR) ranged from 0.17 to 4.13-fold compared with the susceptible strain. Notably, low resistance developed to spinosad in all field strains, and very low resistance developed to alpha-cypermethrin and chlorpyrifos. On the other hand, no resistance developed to methomyl, hexaflumeron or Bacillus thuringiensis. The determination of detoxification enzymes, including carboxylesterases (α- and β-esterase), mixed function oxidase (MFO) and glutathione-S-transferase (GST), or the target site of acetylcholinesterase (AChE), revealed that the three field strains had significantly different activity levels compared with the susceptible strain. Conclusion: Our findings, along with other tactics, are expected to help with the resistance management of S. littoralis in Egypt. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Detoxification Mechanisms in Insects)
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