Hawkmoths cures themselves by converting nectar into antioxidants

Moth is one of insect which can fly. During flying, the body requires energy and it produces oxidative stress in the muscles. For flying animals, this is crucial because the oxidative damage can cause toxic effect. Therefore, the moth needs something to prevent this natural situation. Nectar is the answers, but how does it find the solution?

Hawkmoth or tobacco hawkmoth is able to produce antioxidants

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) generates byproduct of metabolism in body of living thing. This natural activity leads imbalance process which can cause toxic for the cell itself. In common metabolism process, the body or cells employ redox reaction as the oxygen is the fuel. This chemical reaction happens significantly in flying animals particularly for the moth. Flying requires high rates of metabolism, performing high aerobic cellular activity, so it will be potentially generated damage. The damage is resulted by peroxides or free radical compounds produced by redox state.

As we mentioned earlier, that flying requires high energy so the moth is potentially poisoned by its own byproduct of metabolism. Biologically speaking, moth needs an organ which can prevent the toxic state like human’s pancreas does. Unfortunately, moth does not have system like the human has, for example from saliva or others. As this insect consumes nectar which is obtained from the flowers, the nutrients must be engineered into medicine.

Moth converts nectar into antioxidant

New breakthrough is discovered by (Levin, et al., 2017) about the moths’ ability of converting nectar into antioxidants. As moth needs several types of fuel including carbohydrate and lipids during its flight, the system requires extremely high of muscle utilization. The scientists examined the hawkmoth (Manduca sexta) during the research. The insect is classified into two groups based on the feed which are nectar and sugar. Throughout this parameter, they found that the muscle of sugar-fed moths was in damaged after flying.

The hawkmoth employs the pentose phosphate pathway (PPP) which is obtained from nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH). Both of these chemical compounds are essential to reduce the damage in muscle cause by reactive oxygen species. Biologically speaking, when the hawkmoth eats the nectar to the body and its metabolism converts the glucose obtained from the nectar into NADPH. Subsequently, it produces ribulose-5-phospate. The PPP and NADPH then are distributed to the muscles automatically inside its body to prevent oxidative damage.

As the insect is the same as human and animal in term of metabolism process, the glucose extracted from the nectar will provide the PPP so it generates NADPH. These compounds become final cross-check before taking off or landing.

Conclusion

Hawkmoth (Manduca sexta) is one of flying animals which can do either flying or humming. These aerial abilities require high rates of metabolism so it can lead into oxidative damage in the protein muscles. Interestingly, the Hawkmoth converts their daily consumption which is nectar into antioxidants. This biological process helps the hawkmoth to reduce the damage.

References
[1] Levin, E., Lopez-Martinez, G., Fane, B. & Davidowitz, G., 2017. Hawkmoths use nectar sugar to reduce oxidative damage from flight. Science AAAS, Issue 355 (6326), pp. 733-735.
doi: 10.1126/science.aah4634
[2] Image is downloaded from www.nsf.gov