INFORM February 2025 Volume 36 (2)

EXTRACTS & DISTILLATES

30 • inform February 2025, Vol. 36 (2)

Edible Applications Technology articles picked by researchers This column highlights articles from non-AOCS journals to complement the AOCS member benefit of access to full journal articles at www.aocs.org/stay-informed/journals.

made to scientifically demonstrate the safety and nutritional ben efits of insects as well as their sustainability as a food source. This first review of insect oils focuses on presenting their different char acteristics and encouraging the production and use of these prod ucts in the food, pharmaceutical, or cosmetics industries. Eco-friendly technologies for obtaining antioxidant compounds and protein hydrolysates from edible insect Tenebrio molitor beetles Muñoz-Seijas, N., et al. , Food Chemistry , 464, Part 2, 141726, 2025. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodchem.2024.141726 The functional properties of edible insects can be explored by a joint use of novel technologies. This work applied varied pre-treat ments (ultra-sound-assisted extraction, UAE; microwave-assisted extraction, MAE; temperature-assisted extraction, TAE; CO2 assisted extraction) and solvents (water, ethanol, water:ethanol) in Tenebrio molitor beetles to enhance the extraction of phenolic compounds with antioxidant activity. An enzymatic hydrolysis (EH) was performed in wet and treated biomasses to determine the protein hydrolysis. Higher phenolic compounds and antioxidant activity was released after MAE using water as solvent compared to the other treatments and solvents. Treatments decreased 32 %, 19 % and 30 % the protein, chitin and lipids content. EH improved protein and amino acids hydrolysis in the MAE-treated insects, followed by UAE and TAE treatments. In conclusion, MAE was the most effective to release phenolics and antioxidant activity from T. molitor beetles, while using MAE followed by EH improved protein and amino acids hydrolysis, envisioning valuable applications for this insect biomass.

Ignacio Vieitez is a research professor at the Universdad de la República in Montevideo, Uruguay. He studies green extraction processes to isolate bioactive compounds and determines their potential benefits as food ingredients.

The use of alternative and sustainable food sources has won signif icant interest as a means to address the challenges of food security and planet friendliness. Insects are one option since they are rich in nutrients. Processing is a critical step to develop insect foods, while there is a lack of comprehensive studies to summarize the main developments. In the following manuscripts, authors provide an overview of current insights into the different steps of the transfor mation process to develop different applications. Extraction, characterization, and use of edible insect oil – A review Cruz, V.A., et al. , Food Chemistry , 463, Part 2, 141199, 2025. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodchem.2024.141199 Population growth is driving the search for new food sources, including entomophagy, i.e., a diet based on edible insects. Insect powder are rich in essential fatty acids, minerals, vitamins, and bio active compounds such as antioxidant phenolics. The technologies for extracting oil from insects must be efficient to guarantee high yields. This oil due to its favorable nutritional profile, and lower cost, can be a viable alternative to vegetable and fish oils. Although common in some cultures, the consumption of insects faces resis tance in others due to its association with dirt. Efforts are being