Table 2.
Bioactive compounds from insects and their biological activity.
| Insect | Bioactive compound | Biological activity | References |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cricket (Acheta domesticus) | Aqueous extract | In the FRAP and ORAC assays, the antioxidant capacity was 9,285 mM ascorbic acid equivalents/g dw and 296 μM trolox equivalents (TE)/g dw, respectively. | (40) |
| Holotrichia parallela Motschulsky | Aqueous and ethanolic extracts | Metal-chelating activity and inhibition of lipid peroxidation. Metal-chelating activity and antioxidant in the scavenging of DPPH radicals. | (46) |
| Lucanid beetle (Serrognathus platymelus castanicolor Motschulsky) | Methanolic extracts | Scavenging effects on ABTS•+. Scavening effects followed the order pupae, adult, and larvae having pupae stage extracts enhanced antioxidant activity. | (47) |
| Bush cricket (Brachytrupes orientalis) | Aqueous extract | In high glucose treated cells, inhibit ROS and increase glucose metabolism by upregulating AMPK phosphorylation and GLUT4 expression using a C2C12 mouse myoblast cell model. | (48) |
| Tenebrio molitor larvae | Extract | In mice, it regulates food intake and body weight by inhibiting the expression of the orexigenic neuropeptides neuropeptide Y and agouti-related protein via hypothalamic mTOR and MAPK signaling pathways. | (49) |
| Cricket (Gryllodes sigillatus) | Protein hydrolysate | Glycemic control-inhibit dipeptidyl peptidase IV (DPP-IV), which is involved in the regulation of insulin secretion and glycemia. | (50, 51) |
| Amphiacusta annulipes | Protein hydrolysate | Antiradical activity against DPPH, Fe2+ chelation ability and reducing power. | (16) |
| Zophobas morio | Protein hydrolysate | Antiradical activity against ABTS+ | |
| Locusta migratoria | Protein hydrolysate | Ability to chelate Cu2+ | |
| Locust (Schistocerca gregaria) | Protein hydrolysate | Anti-inflammatory activities—inhibits lipoxygenase | (52) |
| Silkworm Pupae (Bombyx mori) | Protein hydrolysate | SGC-7901 inhibits proliferation and induces abnormal morphologic features in human gastric cancer cells in a dose- and time-dependent manner, as well as inducing mitochondria-dependent apoptosis and cell-cycle arrest in S phase. | (53) |
| Sarcophaga carnaria | Fatty acids (short chain, unsaturated and polyunsaturated) | Antifungal and antimicrobial activity | (54) |
| Pyrrhocoris apterus | Phospholipids | Lowering liver lipid levels has the potential to interfere with sterol absorption in the intestinal lumen. They stimulate bile acid and cholesterol secretion and have the ability to raise plasma HDL levels. | (55, 56) |
| Ericerus pela | Policosanols | Reduce lipid levels in the blood and platelet aggregation. Reduce cholesterol by inhibiting endogenous cholesterol biosynthesis through the activity of the enzyme 3-hydroxy-3-methyl-glutaryl CoA (HMG-CoA) reductase. | (14, 57–60) |
| Linden bug (Pyrrhocoris apterus) | Phytosterols (β -sitosterol and campesterol) | Phytosterols are hypocholesterolemic and prevent cardiovascular disease by inhibiting lipid peroxidation in human low-density lipoproteins. | (19, 61–63) |
| T. molitor larvae, Oedaleus decorus, and Hermetia illucens | Dietetic fiber | Reduced risk of coronary heart disease, stroke, hypertension, diabetes, obesity, and some gastrointestinal diseases. Lowers blood pressure and serum cholesterol levels, improves gastrointestinal function, and protects against constipation, diverticulosis, colon cancer and hemorrhoids. | (45, 64–67) |
| H. illucens, Calliptamus barbarous, Mayflies (order Ephemeroptera) | Chitin and chitosan | Chitin fragments of <40 μm have anti-inflammatory properties, inducing the release of IL-10 and regulating the intensity and chronicity of local inflammation. Reduces plasma cholesterol and triglycerides by binding dietary lipids. Lipid absorption in the intestine is reduced. | (43, 45, 64, 65, 68) |
| Mayflies (order Ephemeroptera) | Chitosan | Antitumor activity in HeLa cells (cervical cancer), and inhibitory activity on A549 (lung) and WiDr (colon) cancer cells | (41, 45) |
| Julus terrestris, C. barbarus and O. decorus | Chitosan | Antimicrobial activities for common human pathogen (e.g., Staphylococcus aureus, E. aerogenes, S. epidermidis wt, B. subtilis, S. typhimurium, C. albicans and P. aeruginosa) and yeast (Candida albicans). | (41, 65) |