Interactions of allelochemicals with detoxication enzymes of insecticide-susceptible and resistant fall armyworms

The induction of glutathione S-transferases and microsomal oxidases by host plants and allelochemicals was examined in sixth-instar larvae of insecticide-susceptible and resistant strains of the fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda (J. E. Smith). Among 11 host plants studied, parsnip and parsley were the best inducers of glutathione S-transferase, resulting in increases of 39- and 19-fold, respectively, compared with the artificial diet. The inducer in parsnip leaves was identified by mass spectrometry, high-pressure liquid chromatography, gas chromatography, and thin-layer chromatography as xanthotoxin, a furanocoumarin. Xanthotoxin also showed a bimodal effect on the microsomal oxidase systems, increasing cytochrome P-450 content and heptachlor epoxidase activity but inhibiting aldrin epoxidase, biphenyl 4-hydroxylase, and p-chloro-N-methylaniline N-demethylase. Using indole 3-acetonitrile, indole 3-carbinol, and flavone as inducers, the inducing pattern of glutathione S-transferases was the same toward 3,4-dichloronitrobenzene, 1-chloro-2,4-dinitrobenzene, and methyl iodide. Microsomal oxidase and glutathione S-transferase were also inducible by host plants and allelochemicals in larvae of a carbaryl-resistant strain.