Insects: A Unique Bioresource for Agriculture and Humanity

A special issue of Insects (ISSN 2075-4450).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 December 2025 | Viewed by 901

Special Issue Editor

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Insects represent the largest group within the arthropod phylum and can be found across all continents and in almost every habitat. Insects play important roles in ecosystems, including pollination, pest control, waste utilization, soil improvement, and wildlife nutrition. Human interactions with insects include exploiting insects for practical uses, such as in food, textiles, or dyes, but also in medicine, science, and technology. Humans have been utilizing natural resources from insects since the Stone Age. One prominent example concerns honeybees, whose products have been used for more than 8000 years. Additionally, silk from the cocoon of the silkworm larva has been used to make clothing since 3500 BCE.

Over the past 25 years, research in the field of insect biotechnology has intensified considerably. Scientists are working on novel active insect ingredients for medicine (e.g., antimicrobial agents), sustainable methods of plant protection (e.g., bioinsecticides), and applications for industrial biotechnology (e.g., enzymes and raw materials such as chitin and chitosan). Recently, biomass-based nanomaterials have represented a key area of research. Chitin and chitosan nanostructural applications have been reported in areas such as biomedical devices, cosmetics, textile coatings, water filtration, food preservation, and food packaging. Chitosan nanoparticles are also being used in sustainable agriculture.

Insects have a high food conversion rate. Crickets, for example, require six times less feed than cattle to produce the same amount of protein. Edible insects contain high-quality protein, vitamins, and essential amino acids that could benefit humans, pets, and farm animals. Insects as a sustainable food source require advanced farming techniques, as well as sophisticated processing methods to ensure food quality and safety.

We invite you to contribute original research articles and critical reviews discussing both basic and applied approaches to the use of insect primary and secondary compounds as bioresources in agriculture and human welfare. Articles on insects as model animals or insect cell lines in biomedicine are also welcome.

Prof. Dr. Klaus H. Hoffmann
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Insects is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • bioinsecticides
  • antimicrobial peptides
  • insect farming
  • chitin and chitosan
  • nanostructures
  • biomedicine

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

  • Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
  • Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
  • Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
  • External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
  • Reprint: MDPI Books provides the opportunity to republish successful Special Issues in book format, both online and in print.

Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (2 papers)

Order results
Result details
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Review

20 pages, 1897 KiB  
Review
Edible Insect Production in Thailand: Sustainable Supply Chain Management
by Sasiprapa Krongdang, Karthikeyan Venkatachalam, Thararat Chitov, Sutee Wangtueai, Jittimon Wongsa, Thanya Parametthanuwat and Narin Charoenphun
Insects 2025, 16(8), 827; https://doi.org/10.3390/insects16080827 - 8 Aug 2025
Viewed by 123
Abstract
This study aims to foster a guideline for sustainable supply chain management for edible insect production through a comprehensive review and critical analysis of the current situation, focusing especially on Thailand’s perspective. It addresses the traditional culture and modern practice of insect consumption [...] Read more.
This study aims to foster a guideline for sustainable supply chain management for edible insect production through a comprehensive review and critical analysis of the current situation, focusing especially on Thailand’s perspective. It addresses the traditional culture and modern practice of insect consumption and how these factors affect current production for commercial purposes. The advantages of nutritional values and farming with edible insects over traditional livestock farming are highlighted. A threats, opportunities, weaknesses, and strengths (TOWS) matrix analysis, producing action-oriented strategies, was based on an analysis of the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT) of Thailand’s edible insect industry. The strategies include enhancement of production and product quality, innovation of intelligent production techniques and agriculture, fortification of branding and product development, encouragement of research and development investment, and the promotion of local product identity. The analysis emphasizes the value of sustainable supply chain management and advocates for the advancement of the bio-circular green (BCG) economy strategy for the edible insect industry. It also emphasizes the importance of stakeholder collaboration and implementing regulations to ensure food safety and sustainable production. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Insects: A Unique Bioresource for Agriculture and Humanity)
Show Figures

Figure 1

25 pages, 1695 KiB  
Review
Bee Brood as a Food for Human Consumption: An Integrative Review of Phytochemical and Nutritional Composition
by Raquel P. F. Guiné, Sofia G. Florença, Maria João Barroca and Cristina A. Costa
Insects 2025, 16(8), 796; https://doi.org/10.3390/insects16080796 - 31 Jul 2025
Viewed by 535
Abstract
The utilisation of edible insects for human nutrition is a long-standing practice in many parts of the globe, and is being gradually introduced into countries without an entomophagic tradition as well. These unconventional sources of protein of animal origin have arisen as a [...] Read more.
The utilisation of edible insects for human nutrition is a long-standing practice in many parts of the globe, and is being gradually introduced into countries without an entomophagic tradition as well. These unconventional sources of protein of animal origin have arisen as a sustainable alternative to other animal protein sources, such as meat. This review intends to present the compilation of data in the scientific literature on the chemical composition and nutritional value of the bee brood of A. mellifera species and subspecies as edible foods. For this, a comprehensive search of the scientific literature was carried out using the databases ScienceDirect, Scopus, Pub-Med, BOn, and SciELO. Appropriate keywords were used for the search to reach the research works that addressed the topics of the review. The results showed that bee brood has considerable quantities of protein, fat and carbohydrates. The most abundant amino acids are leucine and lysine (these two being essential amino acids) and aspartic acid, glutamic acid, and proline (these three being non-essential amino acids). As for the fatty acids, bee broods contain approximately equal fractions of saturated and monounsaturated fatty acids, while the polyunsaturated fatty acids are negligible. The dietary minerals present in higher quantities are potassium, phosphorus, and magnesium, and the most abundant vitamins are vitamin C and niacin; choline is also present, although it is not a true vitamin. Although bee brood from A. mellifera has potential for human consumption as a nutrient-rich food, there are still many aspects that need to be further studied in the future, such as safety and hazards linked to possible regular consumption. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Insects: A Unique Bioresource for Agriculture and Humanity)
Show Figures

Figure 1

Back to TopTop