Effects of dietary nickel on detoxification enzyme activities in the midgut of Spodoptera litura Fabricius larvae

Nickel accumulated in midugt of Spodoptera litura Fabricius could induce the expression of metallothionein, one of the most important detoxification proteins in organisms. In the present study, the effects of dietary nickel on the activities of detoxification enzymes, such as carboxylesterase (CarE) and glutathione S-transferase (GST) in the midgut of S. litura larvae have been studied to get an understanding of the detoxification mechanisms of S. litura larvae to excessive nickel. Results showed that CarE activities in the midgut of the 5th instar larvae decreased at lower levels of nickel (⩽5 mg/kg), while increased with increasing nickel doses at higher levels of nickel (⩾10 mg/kg) exposure in successive 3 generations. CarE activities of the 6th instar larvae were also characterized as inhibited at low levels of nickel exposure, and improved at higher levels in the 1st generation. CarE activities of 6th instar larvae in the 2nd and 3rd generations were all lower than that in control. However, GST activities in the midgut of the 5th and 6th instar larvae all increased with increasing nickel doses (1–20 mg/kg) in diets.