ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the methods of detoxification, discusses the examples of detoxification of plant toxins where the structures are known, arranged into different classes. It explains the factors that influence detoxification of plant substances, namely, strategies of detoxification by different insect species, modifiers of detoxification methods, the sources of the ability, and examples of situations when toxins have been used to the benefit of the herbivorous insect. Probably no other area concerning the subject of detoxification of plant compounds by insects is as intriguing as the enzyme induction phenomenon which occurs in insects, since it provides a mechanism for conserving resources. This phenomenon involves the apparent increased synthesis of detoxifying enzymes after exposure to a particular substrate. The classes of enzymes involved in metabolism vary, and additional research should show increasing revelation of their nature in the near future.
