As the global population approaches 10 billion by 2050, the critical need to ensure food security becomes increasingly pronounced. In response to the urgent problems posed by global population growth, our study adds to the growing body of knowledge i...
The growing demand for sustainable and nutritionally balanced protein sources has intensified global interest in edible insects as an emerging alternative to conventional animal- and plant-based proteins. This review synthesizes current knowledge on...
Global concern about food supply shortage has increased interest on novel food sources. Among them, edible insects have been studied as a potential major food source. This study aimed to improve the functional properties of protein solutions extracte...
Due to the recent increase in the human population and the associated shortage of protein resources, it is necessary to find new, sustainable, and natural protein resources from invertebrates (such as insects) and underutilized plants. In most cases,...
G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) are known to play central roles in the physiology of many organisms. Members of this seven α-helical transmembrane protein family transduce the extracellular signals and regulate intracellular second messengers thr...
This study explores the potential of Tenebrio molitor protein hydrolysates as functional food ingredients, evaluating their bioactivity and consumer acceptance of the incorporation of edible insects into food across Poland and Spain. By aligning tech...
This study investigated the isolation and bioactive characterization of proteins obtained from insect flours of Tenebrio molitor, Zophobas morio, and Acheta domesticus. Protein isolates were produced from defatted insect flours using a modified alkal...
The low consumer acceptance to entomophagy in Western society remains the strongest barrier of this practice, despite these numerous advantages. More positively, it was demonstrated that the attractiveness of edible insects can be enhanced by the use...
Edible insects have emerged as a sustainable source of high-quality proteins, lipids, and carbohydrates (including chitin), as well as micronutrients such as minerals and vitamins, and diverse bioactive compounds, thereby making them promising ingred...
Protein hydrolysates from lesser mealworm (Alphitobius diaperinus, LM) were obtained by enzymatic hydrolysis with protease from Bacillus licheniformis. A preliminary test performed for five hours of hydrolysis generated an insect protein hydrolysate...
The rising demand for sustainable protein is driving interest in insects as a raw material for advanced food ingredients. This review collates and critically analyses over 300 studies on the conversion of crickets, mealworms, black soldier flies, and...
Background: Meat-based and meat analogue products are commonly consumed foods for protein nourishment across the globe. These food products are promising carrier media that can be targeted for the delivery of edible insect products as a strategy to o...
The environmental burden of widely used protein sources in animal feeds, such as soybean and fishmeal, has raised concerns about the sustainability of current livestock production systems. In response, alternative protein sources are being explored,...
The survival of insects depends on their ability to detect molecules present in their environment. Odorant-binding proteins (OBPs) form a family of proteins involved in chemoreception. While OBPs were initially found in olfactory appendages, recently...
Due to their protein content and balanced amino acid profile, edible insects have been described as an excellent alternative protein source to combat malnutrition. As the global population continues to grow, edible insects such as the black soldier f...
In this study, we investigated the effects of various defatting methods, including organic solvent (aqueous, acetone, ethanol, and hexane) extraction and physical (cold pressure) extraction, on the nutritional, physicochemical, and functional propert...
G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs) play important roles in cell biology and insects’ physiological processes, toxicological response and the development of insecticide resistance. New information on genome sequences, proteomic and transcriptome anal...
As the global population continues to grow, so does the demand for alternative protein sources. Entomophagy, the consumption of insects, has long been practiced in many cultures worldwide and is now gaining increasing interest in Western countries. I...
Black soldier fly (BSF) larvae are an increasingly popular source of protein in the food industry, and they are showing great potential as a sustainable alternative to traditional protein sources. However, to fully utilize the potential of insect pro...
Edible insects can be converted into flours, defatted powders, protein concentrates, isolates, hydrolysates, lipid fractions and chitin-rich ingredients. This targeted narrative review of 45 cited sources, including 18 original studies in the core pr...
The increasing demand for sustainable protein sources has stimulated growing scientific interest in edible insects as a promising component of future food systems. This study aimed to map the global research landscape and thematic development of edib...
Research on Piwi proteins and piRNAs in insects has focused on three experimental models: oogenesis and spermatogenesis in Drosophila melanogaster, the antiviral response in Aedes mosquitoes and the molecular analysis of primary and secondary piRNA b...
There is a pressing need to extend the knowledge on the properties of insect protein fractions to boost their use in the food industry. In this study several techno-functional properties of a black soldier fly (Hermetia illucens) protein concentrate...
This review examines the nutritional and functional potential of Acheta domesticus, the impact of fermentation on its biochemical and microbiological properties, and its application in food ingredients and products. Relevant literature was reviewed o...
Edible insects as an alternative source of protein are gaining increasing attention, leading to new opportunities for their use in food processing. In this study, the functional properties, such as water and oil holding capacity, foaming, and emulsif...
Edible insects have received global attention as an alternative protein-rich food. However, their structural characteristics make them difficult to digest. To overcome this obstacle, we assessed the techno-functional properties of three protein conce...
Protein delivery to cells in vivo has great potential for the functional analysis of proteins in nonmodel organisms. In this study, using the butterfly wing system, we investigated a method of protein delivery to insect epithelial cells that allows f...
Biocompatible materials fabricated from natural protein polymers are an attractive alternative to conventional petroleum-based plastics. They offer a green, sustainable fabrication method while also opening new applications in biomedical sciences. Av...
Natural proteins present a sustainable and biocompatible alternative to conventional fossil fuel-derived plastics, with versatile applications in fields ranging from medicine to food packaging. Extending our previous research on silk–corn zein...
Mealworm, TM (Tenebrio molitor), and black soldier fly, BSF (Hermetia illucens) are of special interest for food and feed applications due to their environmental benefits such as low water and land requirements, low greenhouse gas emissions, and high...
The increasing development of edible insect flours as alternative sources of proteins added to food and feed products for improving their nutritional value, necessitates an accurate evaluation of their possible adverse side-effects, especially for in...
In many parasitoid insects, especially hymenopteran parasitoids, venom is delivered around oviposition to override host physiology. Once viewed as a narrowly immunosuppressive secretion, parasitoid venom is now recognized as a multifunctional effecto...
The aim of this study was to determine the effect of blanching followed by fermentation of mealworms (Tenebrio molitor) with commercial meat starter cultures on the functional properties of powders produced from the larvae. Full fat and defatted powd...
The effects of chemical protein extraction, and enzymatic hydrolysis with Alcalase, papain and pepsin, on the functional properties, antioxidant activity, amino acid composition and protein structure of black soldier fly (H. illucens) larval protein...
The amino acid profile, techno-functionalities (foaming stability/capacity, emulsion stability/capacity, solubility, and coagulation), and physicochemical characteristics (colour, particle size, surface hydrophobicity, Fourier-transform infrared spec...
Hypertension is the leading risk factor for premature death worldwide and significantly contributes to the development of all major cardiovascular disease events. The management of high blood pressure includes lifestyle changes and treatment with ant...
Although locusts can be sustainably produced and are nutrient rich, the thought of eating them can be hard to swallow for many consumers. This paper aims to investigate the nutritional composition of Locusta migratoria, including the properties of ex...
Honey bees are commonly used to study metabolic processes, yet the molecular mechanisms underlying nutrient transformation, particularly proteins and their effects on development, health, and diseases, still evoke varying opinions among researchers....
Black soldier fly (Hermetia illucens) larvae (BSFL) represent a sustainable protein source for animal feed, efficiently converting organic waste into high-value biomass. This study aimed to valorize agricultural by-products (apple, potato, and red be...
Background: Agro-industrial by-products, such as carob and brewer’s spent grain (BSG), have gained increasing attention as sustainable feed ingredients capable of enhancing the nutritional and functional value of Tenebrio molitor larvae. This s...
All over the world, a large proportion of the population consume insects as part of their diet. In Western countries, however, the consumption of insects is perceived as a negative phenomenon. The consumption of insects worldwide can be considered in...
In this review we present the developmental, histological, evolutionary and functional properties of insect chemosensory proteins (CSPs) in insect species. CSPs are small globular proteins folded like a prism and notoriously known for their complex a...
Lectins are carbohydrate-binding proteins that recognize and selectively bind to specific sugar structures. This group of proteins is widespread in plants, animals, and microorganisms, and exerts a broad range of functions. Many plant lectins were id...
The demand of optimal protein for human consumption is growing. The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has highlighted aquaculture as one of the most promising alternatives for this protein supply gap due to the high efficiency of fish growth. H...
Honeydew is a watery fluid excreted by plant sap-feeding insects. It is a waste product for the insect hosts. However, it plays important roles for other organisms, such as serving as a nutritional source for beneficial insects and bacteria, as well...
The increasing size of the human population and the shortage of highly valuable proteinaceous ingredients has prompted the international community to scout for new, sustainable, and natural protein resources from invertebrates (e.g., insects) and und...
Following insect mating, females often exhibit a series of physiological, behavioral, and gene expression changes. These post-mating responses (PMRs) are induced by seminal fluid components other than sperm, which not only form network proteins to as...
Inclusion of edible insects in human diets is increasingly promoted as a sustainable source of proteins with high nutritional value. While consumer acceptability remains the main challenge to their integration into Western food culture, the use of ed...
In this study, edible insect flours from Gonimbrasia belina (Mashonzha), Hermetia illucens (black soldier fly larvae) and Macrotermes subhylanus (Madzhulu) were prepared and assessed in terms of proximal, physicochemical, techno-functional and antiox...
The Steinernema carpocapsae nematode is known to release several excretory/secretory products (ESPs) in its venom upon contact and during the parasitic infection process of insect hosts. A recurrent family of proteins found in this nematode’s v...
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