In vivo and in vitro metabolism of sitosterol in Heliothis armigera (Huebner) and Locusta migratoria L

Since sitosterol is the major plant sterol which fulfills all sterol requirements of H. armigera and L. migratoria, metabolism of dietary 14C sitosterol has been studied in the above insects both, in vivo and in the alimentary canal and fat body in vitro. Radioactivity is detected in cholesterol, isofucosterol and an unidentified sterol in addition to sitosterol indicating that sitosterol is metabolized to cholesterol with isofucosterol being a probable intermediate. Midgut and fat body are the sites of sitosterol dealkylation. The possibility of fucosterol being an intermediate in this dealkylation cannot be ruled out. (author). 25 refs., 3 tabs