ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Ecol. Evol.
Sec. Behavioral and Evolutionary Ecology
Volume 13 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fevo.2025.1628611
Timing of prooxidant and antioxidant intake shapes life-history and parasite tolerance in Anopheles mosquitoes
Provisionally accepted- Institute of Biology, University of Neuchâtel, Neuchâtel, Switzerland
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Oxidative homeostasis plays a crucial role in physiology, as reactive oxygen species (ROS) regulate immunity and longevity, but also lead to damaging oxidative stress. ROS are therefore expected to influence host-parasite interactions. Previous studies have shown that supplementing mosquito diets with prooxidants (hydrogen peroxide) or antioxidants (ascorbic acid) disturbs their oxidative balance, particularly in uninfected individuals, which actively avoid these compounds when given a choice. Here, we evaluated how such diet-induced shifts in oxidative status influence infection outcomes with the microsporidian parasite Vavraia culicis in the mosquito Anopheles gambiae. Mosquitoes were fed a standard sugar solution or one supplemented with a prooxidant or an antioxidant either early or late in life. We then measured longevity, fecundity, and parasite load 13 days after emergence or at death. Early prooxidant consumption increased longevity; this benefit was lower in infected mosquitoes. Antioxidant consumption increased fecundity irrespective of infection. Early intake of either supplement increased parasite load in 13-day old mosquitoes, while late intake promoted parasite growth later in life. These findings reveal context-dependent effects of oxidative status on host traits and parasite dynamics, emphasizing the crucial role of timing in shaping oxidative interventions.
Keywords: Oxidative Stress, life-history trade-offs, Parasite tolerance, Host-Parasite Interactions, Anopheles mosquitoes, self-medication, Infection resistance, Oxidative ecology
Received: 14 May 2025; Accepted: 18 Jul 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Zeferino, Mora and Koella. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Tiago G. Zeferino, Institute of Biology, University of Neuchâtel, Neuchâtel, Switzerland
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