Biomaterial Database

Edible Insects an Alternative Nutritional Source of Bioactive Compounds: A Review. 2023

Donatella Aiello, and Marcella Barbera, and David Bongiorno, and Matteo Cammarata, and Valentina Censi, and Serena Indelicato, and Fabio Mazzotti, and Anna Napoli, and Daniela Piazzese, and Filippo Saiano

Department of Chemistry and Chemical Technologies, University of Calabria, 87036 Arcavacata di Rende, Italy.

Edible insects have the potential to become one of the major future foods. In fact, they can be considered cheap, highly nutritious, and healthy food sources. International agencies, such as the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), have focused their attention on the consumption of edible insects, in particular, regarding their nutritional value and possible biological, toxicological, and allergenic risks, wishing the development of analytical methods to verify the authenticity, quality, and safety of insect-based products. Edible insects are rich in proteins, fats, fiber, vitamins, and minerals but also seem to contain large amounts of polyphenols able to have a key role in specific bioactivities. Therefore, this review is an overview of the potential of edible insects as a source of bioactive compounds, such as polyphenols, that can be a function of diet but also related to insect chemical defense. Currently, insect phenolic compounds have mostly been assayed for their antioxidant bioactivity; however, they also exert other activities, such as anti-inflammatory and anticancer activity, antityrosinase, antigenotoxic, and pancreatic lipase inhibitory activities.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D007313	Insecta	Members of the phylum ARTHROPODA composed or organisms characterized by division into three parts: head, thorax, and abdomen. They are the dominant group of animals on earth with several hundred thousand different kinds. Three orders, HEMIPTERA; DIPTERA; and SIPHONAPTERA; are of medical interest in that they cause disease in humans and animals. (From Borror et al., An Introduction to the Study of Insects, 4th ed, p1).	Insects,Insect
D000080702	Edible Insects	Organisms of the INSECTA class that are used as food or are suitable as a nutritional source, especially by humans.	Insects As Food,As Food, Insects,As Foods, Insects,Edible Insect,Food, Insects As,Foods, Insects As,Insect, Edible,Insects As Foods,Insects, Edible
D000818	Animals	Unicellular or multicellular, heterotrophic organisms, that have sensation and the power of voluntary movement. Under the older five kingdom paradigm, Animalia was one of the kingdoms. Under the modern three domain model, Animalia represents one of the many groups in the domain EUKARYOTA.	Animal,Metazoa,Animalia
D000975	Antioxidants	Naturally occurring or synthetic substances that inhibit or retard oxidation reactions. They counteract the damaging effects of oxidation in animal tissues.	Anti-Oxidant,Antioxidant,Antioxidant Activity,Endogenous Antioxidant,Endogenous Antioxidants,Anti-Oxidant Effect,Anti-Oxidant Effects,Anti-Oxidants,Antioxidant Effect,Antioxidant Effects,Activity, Antioxidant,Anti Oxidant,Anti Oxidant Effect,Anti Oxidant Effects,Anti Oxidants,Antioxidant, Endogenous,Antioxidants, Endogenous
D014815	Vitamins	Organic substances that are required in small amounts for maintenance and growth, but which cannot be manufactured by the human body.	Vitamin
D059808	Polyphenols	A large class of organic compounds having more than one PHENOL group.	Polyphenol,Provinols