Stehlíková Dagmar, Müllerová Veronika, Adámková Anna, Beran Pavel, Adámek Martin, Čurn Vladislav, Škrovánková Soňa, Mlček Jiří
Department of Genetics and Biotechnology, Faculty of Agriculture and Technology, University of South Bohemia in Ceske Budejovice, Na Sadkach 1780, 370 05 Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic.
Department of Food Analysis and Chemistry, Faculty of Technology, Tomas Bata University in Zlin, Vavreckova 5669, 760 01 Zlin, Czech Republic.
Insects. 2025 Sep 21;16(9):983. doi: 10.3390/insects16090983.
Edible insects, particularly (Linnaeus) (mealworm) and (Fabricius) (superworm), have drawn increasing attention as alternative protein sources. This study aims to develop an accurate molecular detection method for , an EU-approved food species, and to differentiate it from , which remains unapproved for human consumption in the EU. The process enables precise and sensitive identification methods by optimizing singleplex and duplex PCR techniques targeting 16S rRNA and COI gene regions. The DNA of was detected in various food matrices, including pastries, chocolate, and porridge, while avoiding cross-reactivity with , , and . The detection limit for both singleplex and duplex PCR was 10 pg of DNA, ensuring robustness against inhibitory effects from complex food matrices. The developed approach ensures reliable detection and compliance with EU regulations regarding insect-based foods, providing a critical tool for food authentication and preventing adulteration. The key advancements of this approach lie in its improved specificity and sensitivity, allowing for the ability to detect complex food matrices. An applied perspective was evaluated using real commercial food products.
可食用昆虫，特别是黄粉虫（Linnaeus）（黄粉虫幼虫）和大麦虫（Fabricius）（大麦虫成虫），作为替代蛋白质来源受到了越来越多的关注。本研究旨在开发一种针对欧盟批准的可食用昆虫物种黄粉虫的准确分子检测方法，并将其与在欧盟仍未被批准供人类食用的大麦虫区分开来。该过程通过优化针对16S rRNA和COI基因区域的单重和双重PCR技术，实现了精确且灵敏的鉴定方法。在包括糕点、巧克力和粥在内的各种食品基质中都检测到了黄粉虫的DNA，同时避免了与大麦虫、家蝇和果蝇的交叉反应。单重和双重PCR的检测限均为10 pg DNA，确保了对复杂食品基质抑制作用的稳健性。所开发的方法确保了可靠的检测，并符合欧盟关于昆虫类食品的法规，为食品认证和防止掺假提供了关键工具。该方法的关键进展在于其提高的特异性和灵敏度，使其能够检测复杂的食品基质。使用实际商业食品产品评估了其应用前景。
