Novel Composite Films Starting from Black Soldier Fly Protein Extract

In the last decades, green biomaterials have been explored as alternatives to conventional
petroleum-based polymers for applications in the health and food sectors [1]. Biomass-related
proteins present intriguing biopolymers to be used as sustainable, biocompatible, and
biodegradable building blocks to design innovative coatings and films [2]. Insect-derived proteins
are a promising and novel building block for functional coatings. Hermetia illucens, commonly
known as Black Soldier Fly (BSF), has the ability to convert organic waste into a valuable larval
biomass. The latter is rich in proteins of high biological value and has gained attention mainly as
animal feed [3].
In this contribution, BSF proteins are proposed as raw material for bioplastics due to their film-
forming properties. The preparation of composite films based on BSF protein extract, along with
their spectroscopic and mechanical characterization, is presented.
Protein extraction was performed on defatted BSF larvae powder, using a modified method basedon Caligiani et al. [4]. A critical step for suitable dry-casted film formation was protein solubilization.
The proper combination of sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS) as surfactant and glycerol as plasticizer
was evaluated based on tensile strength and strain tests.
Infrared characterization demonstrated good film homogeneity. Preliminary experiments on the
incorporation of antimicrobial zinc-based materials [5] for coating preparation were also carried out.
In conclusion, our results demonstrate the potential of BSF proteins as a novel source for bio-based
film preparations, opening the door to their use for diverse technological applications.

1. Q. Lin et al., ACS Biomaterials Science & Engineering 10 (2024) 6751-6765
2. S. Gopalakrishnan et al., Adv. Sustainable Syst. 5 (2021) 2000167.
3. K. B. Barragan-Fonseca et al., Journal of Insects as Food and Feed 3 (2017) 105-120.
4. A. Caligiani et al., Food research international 105 (2018) 812-820.
5. M.C. Sportelli et al., Nanomaterials 10(2020) 473.