Iridoid glycosides (IG), which are known to play a prominent role in the interaction between generalist herbivores and host plants, are activated by the hydrolysis of the sugar and the aglycone. Trichoplusia ni is a caterpillar that is able to feed on IG’s, such as catalpol, with few detrimental effects. In this study we tested the ability of T. ni to hydrolyze catalpol using bglucosidase and potentially metabolize the products. Ten day old larvae that were reared in the same conditions with no initial catalpol were placed on an artificial diet containing three concentrations (low, medium, high). Utilizing mass spectroscopy, our objective was to measure the breakdown products, the amount of catalpol metabolized, and sugars released in both the caterpillars and their frass. Understanding T. ni’s ability to metabolize a glycoside may lend insights into the chemical mediation of interactions between plants and generalist herbivores.
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