Akademik Veri Yönetim Sistemi
BIOLOGY BULLETIN, cilt.52, sa.5, 2025 (SCI-Expanded, Scopus)
With the rapid expansion of nanotechnology, studies focusing on the toxicity of nanomaterials to living organisms are increasing. Nanoparticles (NPs) are widely used in pest control because of their various toxicological effects on insects. The changes in the amounts of malondialdehyde (MDA), the activities of NADPH oxidases (NOX), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT), and the amount of glutathione (GSH) of Malacosoma neustria L. (Lepidoptera: Lasiocampidae) larvae, a polyphagous species, exposed to different concentrations of copper oxide (CuO) and zinc oxide (ZnO) NPs were compared in this study. M. neustria eggs were collected from the Kizilirmak Delta in Samsun Province, Turkiye, in May 2022. The 2nd instar larvae of M. neustria were divided into seven different groups: one control, three with varying concentrations of CuO NPs (40, 200, and 1000 mg/L), and the other three with different concentrations of ZnO NPs (40, 200, and 1000 mg/L). As a result of the study, it was determined that the amounts of MDA and GSH and the activities of NOX, SOD, and CAT of the larvae exposed to both nanoparticles were higher compared to the control. As a result of the study, it is indicated that oxidative stress occurs in the insect exposed to toxic nanoparticles, and the insect defends itself against these nanoparticles with both enzymatic and nonenzymatic defenses. It is suggested that these nanoparticles can be utilized to control insects.