Oxidative Impact of Dietary Triclabendazole in Galleria mellonella

Recent studies have shown that anthelmintic and antifungal agents are recommended as alternative agents in chemical control of insect pests. In this study, first instar larvae of the greater wax moth, Galleria mellonella, were reared on artificial diets containing 0.001, 0.01, and 0.1 g/100 g of triclabendazole, an anthelmintic benzimidazole. The eff ects of these triclabendazole concentrations on the lipid peroxidation product, malondialdehyde (MDA) and glutathione-S-transferase (GST) activity were investigated in all G. mellonella developmental stages, as well as in the midgut tissue of the insect. Compared to controls, the highest triclabendazole concentration (0.1%) increased MDA content from 0.182±0.03 to 0.415±0.04 nmol/mg protein in the larvae, from 0.190±0.04 to 0.626±0.06 nmol/mg protein in the pupae, and from 0.354±0.06 to 0.451±0.04 nmol/mg protein in the adults. MDA content was determined to be 0.141±0.02 to 0.835±0.13 nmol/mg protein in the midgut. The highest concentration of triclabendazole was found to significantly increase GST activity in the larvae, pupae, adults, and in the midgut tissue of G. mellonella in comparison to controls. The three dietary concentrations of triclabendazole resulted in a high degree of oxidative stress and an increase in the activity of the detoxification enzyme GST following an increase in MDA levels in the midgut and in all developmental stages of G. mellonella