Acidic conjugate of phenols in insects: glucoside phosphate and glucoside sulphate derivatives

Abstract

1. Conjugates of p-nitrophenol in nine species of insects were identified by paper chromatography and ionophoresis as the glucoside, the sulphate, the phosphate and the glucoside phosphate.

2. Metabolites with similar properties to the glucoside phosphates were also formed from 8-hydroxyquinoline, 1-naphthol and 4-methylumbelliferone in Tenebrio larvae.

3. Tenebrio larvae also metabolized p-nitrophenol to a compound believed to be p-nitrophenyl glucoside-6-sulphate.

4. None of the nine species of insect used was able to metabolize [¹⁴C]benzoic acid to a glucoside-phosphate or glucoside-sulphate conjugate.