Pakistan Journal of Biological Sciences1028-88801812-5735Asian Network for Scientific Information10.3923/pjbs.2003.1354.1360ElhassaneenY. A.Abd El-MoatyA. A.122003615It has long been known that frequent oral exposure to insect- infested flour run an
increased risk of many diseases, including cancer, kidney failure etc in experimental
animals. The susceptibility to all of these diseases may be a consequence of
superimposed oxidative stress due to lack of defensive mechanisms. In concern with
this hypothesis, the present study was carried out to assess the influence of feeding
insect-infested wheat flour on the oxidant and antioxidant status in rats. Wheat flour
samples were infested with Tribolium confusum for eight weeks then introduced
immediately in feeding the rats for ten weeks. During the feeding period, blood samples
were drawl for hematological studies periodically after each two weeks. The obtained
data revealed that activities of antioxidant enzymes GSH-Px and GSH-R were found
lower in the erythrocytes of rats feeding insect-infest wheat flour. By ten weeks of
feeding the infested flour, the lowering ratios in these enzyme activities were 9.27 and
32.09% respectively. The GSH/GSSG ratio in plasma, which provide a sensitive index
of whole body oxidative stress, were lower significantly and recorded 5.29 ±1.35.
Plasma levels of antioxidant vitamin (vitamins A, C and E) were also significantly
lower in plasma of rats feeding insect-infested wheat flour for ten weeks of feeding the
infested flour and the lowering ratios for these vitamins level were 38.25, 37.49 and
43.21%, respectively. Additionally, levels of oxidants in plasma, TBARS, nitrite (NO2)
and nitrate (NO3), were higher by the ratio of 124.92, 188.97 and 178.35%,
respectively. Results suggested that enzymatic antioxidant defence system of
erythrocytes was depressed and the erythrocytes were exposed to oxidant stress due to
insect-infested flour feeding. Increased plasma TBARS, NO2 and NO3 levels indicated
that not only erythrocytes but also some other tissues and cells might be exposed to the
radical stress by insect-infested flour. Feeding insect-infested flour also caused
significant changes in the levels of antioxidant vitamins partly protected erythrocytes
against such harmful effects of feeding on infested flour by scavenging free radical
species and by activating or inducing antioxidant enzymes.]]>Abd El-Hameed, D.A.,20012001Bohm, F., R. Edge, E.J. Land, D.J. MvGarvey and T.G. Truscott,1997119621622Campbell, J.A.,1963Elhassaneen, Y.A.,19961996Elhassaneen, Y.A. and L.M. Tawfik,20002000El-Mofty, M.M., V.V. Khudoley, S.A. Sakr and N.G. Fathala,1992Tribolium castaneum, biscuits made of this flour and 1,4-benzoquinone induce neoplastic lesions in Swiss Albino mice.]]>1797104El-Mofty, M.M., S.I. Osman, S.A. Sakr and B.A. Toulan,1988Tribolium castaneum in Bufo regularis.]]>456567El-Mofty, M.M., S.A. Sakr, S.I. Osman and B.A.Toulan,1989Tribolium castaneum in Bufo regularis.]]>466365Epler K.S., R.G. Zeigler and N.E. Craft,19936193748Gant, T.W., Rao, D.N., R.P. Mason and G.M. Cohen,198865157163Ghaedian, A.R. and R.L. Wehling,199673625627Halliwell, B.,19871358364Halliwell, B. and J.M. Gutteridge,19852nd Edn., Harvey, R.G.,1985Heffner, J.E. and J.E. Repine,1989140531554Hegested, D.M., R.C. Mills, C.A. Elvehjem and E.B. Hart,1941138459470Hung, S.S., Y.C. Cho and S.J. Slinger,198063889893ICSH.,197935331340Jacob, T.D., M.K. Morrell, S. Manzi, J.B. Ochoa and V. Verdile et al.,1992pp: 28pp: 28Jialal, I., C.J. Fuller and B.A. Huet,199515190198Kappus, H. and H. Sies,19813712331241Ladisch, R.L. S.K. Lardisch and P.M. Howe,1967215939940Lepage, G., J. Champagne, N. Ronco, A. Lamarre, I. Osberg, R.J. Sokol and C.C. Roy,1996648793Lorentzen, R. and P. Ts`o,19771614671476Manahan, S.E.,1989McFarris, M.W. and D.J. Reed,1987143101109Misko, T., R. Schilling, D. Salvemini, W. Moore and M. Currie,19932141116Moeslinger, T., M. Brunner and G. Spieckermann,1994221290296Nasr, W.M.,19981998NIH,1985Orrenius, S.,19852913931401Pagani, M., D. Fogliazza, C. Cademartiri and A. Pietri,1994Tribolium confusum du Val and Ephestia Huhniella Zeller.]]>117318320Plakunov, I., T.A. Smolarek, L.D. Fischer, J.C. Wiley and W.M. Baird, 198785966Skaife, S.H.,1978Splittgerber, A.G. and A.L. Tappel,1979197534542Stahl, W. and H. Sies,19936911019Stroev, E.A.,1989Pages: 268Pages: 268Truscott, T.G.,19906359371Varanasi, U.,1989Di Giulio, R.T.,19911991pp: 15-31pp: 15-31Domenichini, M.G., M. Pagani and D. Foglazza,1994Sitophilus granarius (L.) and Rhyzopertha dominica (F.) on durum wheat and their influence on the rheological characteristics of the semolina.]]>2689694