Dietary oxyclozanide influences antioxidant enzyme activities and damages DNA in Gallaria mellonella (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae)

Authors: ÇELIK, CIHAT - Bülent Ecevit University; Stanley, David; BÜYÜKGÜZEL, ENDER - Bülent Ecevit University

Submitted to: Environmental Entomology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 6/22/2024
Publication Date: 8/9/2024
Citation: Çelik, C., Stanley, D.W., Büyükgüzel, E. 2024. Dietary oxyclozanide influences antioxidant enzyme activities and damages DNA in Gallaria mellonella (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae). Environmental Entomology. https://doi.org/10.1093/ee/nvae070.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/ee/nvae070

Interpretive Summary: Insects continue to cause tremendous crop losses by consuming crop plants and spreading plant diseases. Research programs in governments, universities and industries are working to discover or find new insect control products and technologies to manage pest insect populations. One approach is to identify chemicals that operate in any given setting and re-direct them to insect pest management. In this paper, we report on a chemical that is used to expel parasitic worms from human and farm animal bodies. This chemical is also quite harmful to pest insects and it may be used as a test compound for possible development into an effective insect control treatment. Re-directing existing chemicals is a highly effective approach to developing new insect control products that will lead to rapid development and government approval for insect pest control. Scientist will use this finding to more broadly test the efficiency of the chemical we describe here. Such re-direction of existing chemicals will lead to improved production of safe, healthy and attractive foods for a growing human population.

Technical Abstract: Oxyclozanide (OXY) is an anthelmintic widely used in the treatment of fatworm infection and fasciolosis. It also has antiadenovirus, antibioflm, antifungal, and antibacterial activities. Various chemicals have been suggested as alternative chemicals in insect pest management. Here, the oxidative and genotoxic effects of OXY on 7th instars, pupae and adults of the model organism Galleria mellonella (Linnaeus) (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) were examined. First-instar larvae were reared on 0.003, 0.03, 0.3, and 1.5 g OXY per 100 g artifcial diets. Compared with all tested OXY concentrations and controls without OXY, dietary OXY led to increased antioxidant capacity and genotoxic effects. Concentrations of malondialdehyde, an oxidative stress marker, were signifcantly increased in adults of larvae reared on OXY-charged diets at 0.3 and 1.5 g/100 g compared to the adult control roup. We also recorded a signifcant increase in the genotoxic test data (Tail length, Tail DNA %, Tail moment) at the same stages and concentrations. We recorded signifcant increases in glutathione-S-transferase, superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase activities in larvae fed high OXY concentrations. SOD and catalase activities were also signifcantly increased at the concentration of 0.03 g/100 g of OXY in the pupal and adult stages. Cytochrome P450 monooxygenase activity was signifcantly increased at the highest concentration of OXY in the larval and pupal stages. Also, our regression analysis indicates a correlation between the markers of oxidative stress, antioxidant enzymes and comet parameters. These data indicate that OXY induces oxidative stress and antioxidative enzyme response.