Andrade Rafaela, Martins Luisa Louro, Mourato Miguel Pedro, Lourenço Helena, Ramos Ana Cristina, Roseiro Cristina, Pereira Nelson, Costa Gonçalo J, Lucas Raphael, Alvarenga Nuno, Reis João, Neves Ana, Oliveira Margarida, Dias Igor, Abreu Marta
Instituto Nacional de Investigação Agrária e Veterinária, Unidade de Tecnologia e Inovação, 2780-157 Oeiras, Portugal.
LEAF-Linking Landscape, Environment, Agriculture and Food Research Center, Associated Laboratory TERRA, Instituto Superior de Agronomia, ULisboa, 1349-017 Lisboa, Portugal.
Foods. 2025 Apr 2;14(7):1242. doi: 10.3390/foods14071242.
Edible insect powder, particularly from the cricket L., is a promising sustainable alternative to traditional livestock-derived protein. Insects provide high protein content, fibre, and essential minerals, making them suitable for food applications. This study investigates the viability of alternative diets for rearing . Two experimental diets were tested: RI [50% horticultural by-products (HP) + 50% commercial diet (CD)] and RII (33% HP + 33% CD + 33% fish by-products). The results demonstrated that both diets were suitable for cricket rearing. Crickets reared on diets RI and RII produced, respectively, insect powders FI and FII, which were evaluated for their nutritional, bioactive, and microbiological attributes. Both powders exhibited high protein content (≈60%), all essential amino acids, higher mineral content than traditional protein sources, and met European Union food safety standards. Diet composition influenced powder characteristics: FI showed higher antioxidant activity and saturated fat content, while FII contained more protein, ash, minerals, and monounsaturated fatty acids. These findings underscore the potential of using industrial by-products to promote a circular economy in insect farming and suggest pathways for further research. However, since insects can bioaccumulate toxic elements, such as Hg, from diets, caution should be taken when considering fish by-products.
食用昆虫粉，尤其是蟋蟀（L.）粉，是传统畜牧来源蛋白质的一种有前景的可持续替代品。昆虫富含高蛋白、纤维和必需矿物质，适合用于食品应用。本研究调查了用于饲养蟋蟀的替代饲料的可行性。测试了两种实验饲料：RI（50%园艺副产品（HP）+ 50%商业饲料（CD））和RII（33% HP + 33% CD + 33%鱼副产品）。结果表明这两种饲料都适合饲养蟋蟀。用RI和RII饲料饲养的蟋蟀分别产出了昆虫粉FI和FII，并对其营养、生物活性和微生物特性进行了评估。两种粉均显示出高蛋白含量（约60%）、所有必需氨基酸、比传统蛋白质来源更高的矿物质含量，且符合欧盟食品安全标准。饲料组成影响粉的特性：FI显示出更高的抗氧化活性和饱和脂肪含量，而FII含有更多的蛋白质、灰分、矿物质和单不饱和脂肪酸。这些发现强调了利用工业副产品促进昆虫养殖循环经济的潜力，并为进一步研究指明了方向。然而，由于昆虫会从饲料中生物累积汞等有毒元素，在考虑使用鱼副产品时应谨慎。
