Introduction
Demographic transition and population aging pose challenges to food and nutritional security and environmental sustainability. In this context, FAO recommends the use of edible insects, such as Hermetia illucens, due to their nutritional advantages over conventional livestock: rapid growth, utilization of organic waste, and low environmental impact. This study aimed to evaluate the degree of proteolysis, total phenolic content, and antioxidant activity in extracts from defatted Hermetia illucens larval flour obtained using pineapple juice.
Methodology
The sample consisted of Hermetia illucens larvae defatted by Soxhlet extraction with petroleum ether, ground with a mortar, and sieved through a 35-mesh screen. Aqueous extracts were prepared using 1:30 (w/v) sample-to-liquid ratios with pineapple juice, boiled pineapple juice (heated to 97°C for 5 minutes to inactivate proteolytic activity), and deionized water. The mixtures were incubated in a water bath at 37°C for 3 hours. The degree of hydrolysis was determined by quantifying free α-amino groups using the OPA reagent.
Results
The extract obtained with pineapple juice showed the highest antioxidant activity (ABTS assay: 1,372.56 µmol TE/g), approximately 60% higher than that obtained with boiled juice (805.66 µmol TE/g) and with water (787.18 µmol TE/g), which did not differ significantly. The DPPH assay did not detect differences in antioxidant activity among the extracts. The pineapple juice extract also showed the highest degree of hydrolysis (1,053,615.00 free α-amino groups/g) compared to the boiled juice extract (670,981.20 nmol TE/g) and the water extract (130,535.30 nmol TE/g), with increases of approximately 35% and 12%, respectively.
Conclusion
The results indicate that the use of pineapple juice in producing extracts from defatted Hermetia illucens larval flour enhances the availability of free α-amino groups and the antioxidant activity of the extract. This suggests potential benefits in using pineapple juice for developing Hermetia illucens-based beverages with improved protein solubilization and bioactivity.
