Glutathione (GSH) is widely distributed among all living organisms and associated with diverse functions that include maintaining redox homeostasis and detoxification of xenobiotic compounds. The level of GSH within the cell varies with stress often involving changes in GSH content, which is consumed in reactions that protect the cell leading to formation of oxidized GSH (GSSG). Mosquitoes breeding in habitats located at agricultural and residential ecosystems may encounter different kinds of pesticides. Enzyme recycling assay method was used to determine glutathione levels in adults Anopheles gambiae (An. gambiae) reared from larvae collected from agricultural (zone A) and residential (zone B) sites. More than 70% of the GSH occur in the reduced form across the sampling sites. Significantly, higher levels of the oxidized form of GSH were recorded in mosquitoes from agricultural compared to residential sites. This may possibly be an adaptive response to strong selection pressure due to higher concentration of pesticides in the agro-ecosystem. Under normal physiological condition, GSH exists mostly in the reduced form but is converted to the oxidized form during oxidative stress. GSH is a substrate for the glutathione Stransferases system and becomes rate limiting when organisms are exposed to large amount of xenobiotics. The ratio of reduced GSH (rGSH) to GSSG levels often remain above 99% but can change markedly during oxidative stress. Thus, the study highlighted glutathione status may be mediating the response and possibly adaptation of An. gambiae exposure to insecticide. Keywords—Anopheles gambiae, Agricultural and Residential settings, Glutathione, Oxidative stress, Variations
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