Nutritional Composition of Bombyx mori Pupae: A Systematic Review

Purification and identification of novel antioxidant peptides derived from Bombyx mori pupae hydrolysates

The biological importance of antioxidant peptides was the focus of new natural sources of food preservatives. Bombyx mori pupae are considered a valuable by-product of the silk-reeling industry due to their high-quality protein content. This study aimed to purify and identify the antioxidant peptides obtained from enzymatically hydrolyzed B. mori pupae, which could be used as new sources of natural food preservatives. Among the prepared hydrolysates, pepsin hydrolysate with the highest antioxidant activities was purified sequentially using ultrafiltration and reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC). The DPPH radical scavenging and ferrous ion chelating activity were used to evaluate antioxidant activity. Fractions with high activity were further analyzed by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). Three peptides were identified as Glu-Asn-Ile-Ile-Leu-Phe-Arg (ENIILFR), Leu-Asn-Lys-Asp-Leu-Met-Arg (LNKDLMR), and Met-Leu-Ile-Ile-Ile-Met-Arg (MLIIIMR), respectively. All three novel identified peptides exhibited significantly stronger antioxidant capacity than synthetic antioxidants used in the food industry, including butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA), and butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT). ENIILFR showed the best antioxidant activity. These findings indicate that the three peptides have potential applications as natural antioxidants in the food industry.

An In-Depth Insight into the Profile, Mechanisms, Functions, and Transfer of Essential Amino Acids from Mulberry Leaves to Silkworm Bombyx mori L. Pupae and Fish

The silkworm Bombyx mori, the second most varied group of insects, is a fascinating insect that belongs to the Lepidoptera species. We aimed to deepen our knowledge about the composition and significance of amino acids (AA) from the sericulture chain to fish. AAs are the most prevalent molecules throughout the growth process of silkworms. We described AAs classification, occurrence, metabolism, and functions. Online datasets revealed that the essential AAs (EAA) level in fish meal and silkworm pupae (SWP) is comparable. SWP have a high content of methionine and lysine, which are the principal limiting AAs in fish diets, indicating that SWP have nutritional potential to be added to fish diets. Additionally, an overview of the data analyzed displays that SWP have a higher protein efficiency ratio than fish meal, the classical protein-rich source (>1.19 times), and compared to soybean meal, the second-most preferred source of protein in aquaculture (>2.08 times), indicating that SWP can be considered effective for animal feeding. In this study, we provide an overview of the current knowledge concerning AAs, paying special emphasis to EAAs and explaining, to some extent, certain mechanisms and functions of these compounds, from mulberry leaves to larvae-pupae and fish diets.

Edible Insects as a Novel Source of Bioactive Peptides: A Systematic Review

The production of food and feed to meet the needs of the growing world's population will soon become a serious challenge. In search for sustainable solutions, entomophagy is being proposed as an alternative source of proteins, with economic and environmental advantages when compared to meat. Edible insects are not only a valuable source of important nutrients, but their gastrointestinal digestion also originates small peptides with important bioactive properties. The present work intends to provide an exhaustive systematic review on research articles reporting bioactive peptides identified from edible insects, as demonstrated by in silico, in vitro, and/or in vivo assays. A total of 36 studies were identified following the PRISMA methodology, gathering 211 potentially bioactive peptides with antioxidant, antihypertensive, antidiabetic, antiobesity, anti-inflammatory, hypocholesterolemia, antimicrobial, anti-severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus type 2 (SARS-CoV-2), antithrombotic, and immunomodulatory properties, originated from the hydrolysates of 12 different insect species. From these candidates, the bioactive properties of 62 peptides were characterized in vitro and 3 peptides were validated in vivo. Data establishing the scientific basis of the health benefits associated with the consumption of edible insects can be a valuable contribution to overcoming the cultural issues that hinder the introduction of insects in the Western diet.

Silkworm pupae derivatives as source of high value protein intended for pasta fortification

Silkworm (Bombyx mori) pupae are recognized as novel nutritionally valuable food. Their use in pasta-making was considered with the intention of repositioning spaghetti shaped pasta supplemented with silkworm derivatives (10%_db ) as a valuable product in sustainable diets besides upcycling a side stream from the silk industry. The principal objective of this study was to assess the cooking quality (i.e., imbibition kinetics, cooking loss) and texture of pasta supplemented with defatted silkworm powder or with its aqueous protein extract, which enabled to reduce the content of indigestible components supplying a similar protein intake. Pasta was produced on lab-scale, dried, and tested for chemical composition, mechanical properties before and during cooking, cooking behavior in terms of hydration kinetics, starch gelatinization, and cooking quality indexes. The structural roles on pasta protein network played by silkworm powder and proteins extract were investigated. The former behaves as a structural thickener while the second provides a steric hindrance effect with consequent different cooking performances. With regards to the fortified pasta perceived quality, a high level in total color difference (ΔE) was measured (ΔE > 6). However, after fortification agents' addition, pasta color became closer to that of the whole wheat pasta already known by consumers. Structure fragility increased. The energy at break of the "extract pasta" was about one-third of the control (0.849 N*mm). Silkworm powder addition led to the highest pasta optimal cooking time (376 s) and the slowest imbibition rate (0.0001 s^-1 ). After fortification, pasta had an almost doubled cooking loss than control pasta (2.97 ± 0.18 g/100g_db ). PRACTICAL APPLICATION: Silkworm pupae flour can be easily applied for pasta fortification in order to increase the protein daily intake of people in an easy and practical way.

Silkworm and Silk: Traditional and Innovative Applications

The various subjects covered in the present Special Issue "Silkworm and Silk: Traditional and Innovative Applications" demonstrate how sericulture, a practice deeply rooted in human history, can act as a bridge to bring together an exceptionally wide range of scientific and technical expertise in both conventional topics and cutting-edge technologies [...].