Digestive physiology and characterization of digestive cathepsin L-like proteinase from the sugarcane weevil Sphenophorus levis

► Amylase, maltase and the cysteine proteinase occur in contents and decrease along the midgut. ► Cysteine proteinase is the major proteinase in Sphenophorus levis midgut. ► Purified cysteine peptidase had a pH optimum of 6 and a molecular mass of 37 kDa. ► Purified cysteine peptidase was inhibited by E-64, hydrolyzed Z-Phe-Arg-MCA and Z-Leu-Arg-MCA.