ANTIOXIDANT SYSTEMS IN INSECTS

Insects possess a suite of antioxidant enzymes and small molecular wei ght antioxidants that may form a concatenated response to an onslaught of dietary and endogenously produced oxidants. Antioxidant enzymes su ch as superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione transferase, and glu tathione reductase have been characterized in insects. Water-soluble a nd lipid-soluble antioxidants such as ascorbate, glutathione, tocopher ols, and carotenoids have not been well studied in insects but may pla y very important antioxidant roles. Additionally, the peritrophic matr ix and trehalose may possess important antioxidant functions in insect s. The enzymatic recycling of ascorbate, first noted in green plants, may also exist in insects. A greater understanding of these antioxidan t systems may provide greater understanding about the ecological relat ionships of insects with their hosts. (C) 1995 Wiley-Liss, Inc.