Edible insects and legumes exert an antioxidant effect on human colon mucosal cells stressed with 2,2'-azobis (2-amidinopropane)-dihydrochloride

Veronica D'Antonio; Natalia Battista; Carla D Di Mattia; Giampiero Sacchetti; Marina Ramal-Sanchez; Roberta Prete; Donato Angelino; Mauro Serafini

doi:10.3389/fnut.2023.1219837

Edible insects and legumes exert an antioxidant effect on human colon mucosal cells stressed with 2,2'-azobis (2-amidinopropane)-dihydrochloride

Front Nutr. 2023 Jul 6:10:1219837. doi: 10.3389/fnut.2023.1219837. eCollection 2023.

Authors

Veronica D'Antonio¹, Natalia Battista¹, Carla D Di Mattia¹, Giampiero Sacchetti¹, Marina Ramal-Sanchez¹, Roberta Prete¹, Donato Angelino¹, Mauro Serafini¹

Affiliation

¹ Department of Bioscience and Technology for Food, Agriculture and Environment, University of Teramo, Teramo, Italy.

Abstract

Introduction: Edible insects have been recognized as a more sustainable source of nutrients and bio-active compounds than animal-based products, in line with classical vegetable sources such as legumes. In this study, we assessed the antioxidant properties of four edible insects (silkworms, grasshoppers, mealworms and giant worms) and four legume seeds (lentils, chickpeas, Roveja peas and grass peas).

Methods: After the aqueous extraction or in vitro simulated digestion process, selected products were assessed for: (i) in vitro antioxidant capacity through Ferric Reducing Antioxidant Power (FRAP) assay; (ii) the ability to reduce free radicals production induced by a pro-oxidant agent in cells of human colonic mucosa.

Results: All the aqueous extracts and digesta of edible insects displayed significantly higher in vitro antioxidant activity than legumes. Moreover, edible insects at all tested concentrations were able to exert an antioxidant effect in the cellular model, while legumes were effective mainly at high concentrations.

Discussion: Despite human trials are need to confirm and define these results in a physiological situation, here we suggest a role for edible insects in oxidative stress prevention. Since oxidative stress is strongly correlated with several intestinal pathologies, the results obtained could be interesting for the prevention and relief of the negative symptoms, offering new advantages to their already known ecological and nutritional properties.

Keywords: bugs; edible insects; free radicals; legumes; oxidative stress; pulses; reactive oxygen species.