The impact of polystyrene consumption by edible insects Tenebrio molitor and Zophobas morio on their nutritional value, cytotoxicity, and oxidative stress parameters

Ewelina Zielińska; Damian Zieliński; Anna Jakubczyk; Monika Karaś; Urszula Pankiewicz; Barbara Flasz; Marta Dziewięcka; Sławomir Lewicki

doi:10.1016/j.foodchem.2020.128846

The impact of polystyrene consumption by edible insects Tenebrio molitor and Zophobas morio on their nutritional value, cytotoxicity, and oxidative stress parameters

Food Chem. 2021 May 30:345:128846. doi: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2020.128846. Epub 2020 Dec 10.

Authors

Ewelina Zielińska¹, Damian Zieliński², Anna Jakubczyk³, Monika Karaś⁴, Urszula Pankiewicz⁵, Barbara Flasz⁶, Marta Dziewięcka⁷, Sławomir Lewicki⁸

Affiliations

¹ Department of Analysis and Evaluation of Food Quality, University of Life Sciences in Lublin, Skromna Str. 8, 20-704 Lublin, Poland. Electronic address: [email protected].
² Department of Animal Ethology and Wildlife Management, University of Life Sciences in Lublin, Akademicka Str. 13, 20-950 Lublin, Poland. Electronic address: [email protected].
³ Department of Biochemistry and Food Chemistry, University of Life Sciences in Lublin, Skromna Str. 8, 20-704 Lublin, Poland. Electronic address: [email protected].
⁴ Department of Biochemistry and Food Chemistry, University of Life Sciences in Lublin, Skromna Str. 8, 20-704 Lublin, Poland. Electronic address: [email protected].
⁵ Department of Analysis and Evaluation of Food Quality, University of Life Sciences in Lublin, Skromna Str. 8, 20-704 Lublin, Poland. Electronic address: [email protected].
⁶ Institute of Biology, Biotechnology and Environmental Protection, University of Silesia in Katowice, Bankowa 9, 40-007 Katowice, Poland. Electronic address: [email protected].
⁷ Institute of Biology, Biotechnology and Environmental Protection, University of Silesia in Katowice, Bankowa 9, 40-007 Katowice, Poland. Electronic address: [email protected].
⁸ Department of Regenerative Medicine and Cell Biology, Military Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology, Kozielska 4, 01-163 Warsaw, Poland; Kazimierz Pulaski University of Technology and Humanities, Faculty of Medical Sciences and Health Sciences, 26-600 Radom, Poland. Electronic address: [email protected].

PMID: 33601659
DOI: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2020.128846

Abstract

The objective of this study was to determine of nutritional value, in vitro cytotoxicity, and oxidative stress parameters in cells of selected insect species (Tenebrio molitor and Zophobas morio) after 30 days of Styrofoam consumption. Furthermore, part of our research is also a consumer survey on the willingness to eat insects fed with Styrofoam (EPS 80). Mealworms fed with Styrofoam were determined to have higher protein (48.66 ± 0.92%) and ash content (4.81 ± 0.22%) with reduced fat (24.05 ± 0.55%) and carbohydrate content (2.95 ± 0.15%) than insects with a conventional diet (48.66 ± 0.92, 2.82 ± 0.12, 43.74 ± 0.77, and 4.78 ± 0.18, respectively) while in the case of superworms, no significant difference in nutrient composition was observed. Moreover, Styrofoam has no influence on the health status of gut cells in examined insects. Additionally, in studied concentrations of insects extracts standardized for protein replacement of the traditional insect diet with polystyrene foam did not increase the cytotoxic properties.

Keywords: Cytotoxicity; Edible insects; Mealworms; Polystyrene utilization; Styrofoam utilization; Superworms.

MeSH terms

Animals
Cell Line
Cell Survival / drug effects
Diet
Larva / drug effects
Mice
Nutritive Value*
Oxidative Stress / drug effects*
Polystyrenes / chemistry
Polystyrenes / metabolism
Polystyrenes / toxicity*
Reactive Oxygen Species / metabolism
Tenebrio / drug effects
Tenebrio / growth & development

Substances

Polystyrenes
Reactive Oxygen Species
styrofoam