Tenebrio molitor: composición nutricional, compuestos bioactivos, aplicaciones alimentarias e inocuidad

Kenia K. Martínez-Santander; Samantha Macias-Robles; Evelyn Jiménez-V´ázquez; Miguel A. Martínez Álvarez; Armando Zepeda Bastida; Itzel Carbajal-Alcázar

doi:10.29057/icap.v13iEspecial.16814

Autores/as

Kenia K. Martínez-Santander Instituto de Ciencias Agropecuarias https://orcid.org/0009-0003-5500-5511
Samantha Macias-Robles Instituto de Ciencias Agropecuarias https://orcid.org/0009-0001-3983-7559
Evelyn Jiménez-V´ázquez Instituto de Ciencias Agropecuarias https://orcid.org/0009-0003-2992-4557
Miguel A. Martínez Álvarez Instituto de Ciencias Agropecuarias https://orcid.org/0009-0006-9418-4155
Armando Zepeda Bastida Instituto de Ciencias Agropecuarias https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0572-5206
Itzel Carbajal-Alcázar Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Hidalgo https://orcid.org/0009-0000-5593-9355

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.29057/icap.v13iEspecial.16814

Palabras clave:

Tenebrio molitor, proteína alternativa, insectos comestibles, péptidos bioactivos, nutrición animal, seguridad alimentaria

Resumen

El uso de insectos como fuente alimentaria alternativa ha ganado creciente relevancia en los últimos años debido a su composición nutricional y su potencial como fuente sostenible de proteína. En particular, el escarabajo de la harina Tenebrio molitor se distingue por su alto contenido de aminoácidos esenciales, ácidos grasos, vitaminas y minerales, los cuales le confieren propiedades nutracéuticas potenciales. Estas características posicionan al Tenebrio molitor como un candidato prometedor para enfrentar desafíos relacionados con la seguridad alimentaria, la sostenibilidad ambiental y la creciente demanda global de proteína

Descargas

Los datos de descargas todavía no están disponibles.

Citas

[1] Elahi U, Xu CC, Wang J, Lin J, Wu SG, Zhang HJ, Qi GH. Insect meal as a feed ingredient for poultry. Animal bioscience, 2022;35(2):332-346. https://doi.org/10.5713/ab.21.0435.

[2] Shaviklo AR. Influencia de las dietas derivadas de insectos y de origen marino en la calidad sensorial de la carne y el huevo de aves de corral: una revisión sistemática. Revista de Ciencia y Tecnología de los Alimentos. 2023;60 (7):1903-1922. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13197-022-05484-3

[3] Onsongo VO, Osuga IM, Gachuiri CK, Wachira AM, Miano DM, Tanga CM, Ekesi S, Nakimbugwe D, Fiaboe KKM. Insects for Income Generation Through Animal Feed: Effect of Dietary Replacement of Soybean and Fish Meal With Black Soldier Fly Meal on Broiler Growth and Economic Performance. Journal of Economic Entomology. 2018;111(4):1966-1973. https://doi.org/10.1093/jee/toy118

[4] Waithaka MK, Osuga IM, Kabuage LW, Subramanian S, Muriithi B, Wachira AM, Tanga CM. Evaluating the growth and cost-benefit analysis of feeding improved indigenous chicken with diets containing black soldier fly larva meal. Frontiers in Insect Science. 2022;2:933571. https://doi.org/10.3389/finsc.2022.933571

[5] Patterson PH, Acar N, Ferguson AD, Trimble LD, Sciubba HB, Koutsos EA. The impact of dietary Black Soldier Fly larvae oil and meal on laying hen performance and egg quality. Poultry Science. 2021;100(8):101272. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psj.2021.101272

[6] Cullere M, Tasoniero G, Giaccone V, Miotti-Scapin R, Claeys E, De Smet S, Dalle Zotte A. Black soldier fly as dietary protein source for broiler quails: apparent digestibility, excreta microbial load, feed choice, performance, carcass and meat traits. Animal. 2016;10(12):1923-1930. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1751731116001270

[7] Da Silva Lucas AJ, De Oliveira LM, Da Rocha M, Prentice C. Edible insects: An alternative of nutritional, functional and bioactive compounds. Food Chem. 2020;311:126022. doi:10.1016/j.foodchem.2019.126022.

[8] Son YJ, Hwang IK, Nho CW, Kim SM, Kim SH. Determination of carbohydrate composition in mealworm (Tenebrio molitor) larvae and characterization of mealworm chitin and chitosan. Foods. 2021;10(3):640. doi:10.3390/foods10030640.

[9] Melgoza Reséndiz JA. Evaluación de dietas artificiales para la cría de Tenebrio molitor (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae) bajo condiciones controladas para elaboración de harina rica en proteína [Tesis de Licenciatura]. Querétaro: Universidad Autónoma de Querétaro; 2023.

[10] Rodríguez Velázquez D. Producción de larvas de Tenebrio molitor como complemento alimenticio en crías de peces de interés de cultivo comercial [Tesis de Licenciatura]. Ciudad de México: Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana, Unidad Xochimilco; 2022.

[11] Toviho OA, Bársony P. Composición nutricional y crecimiento del gusano de la harina amarillo (Tenebrio molitor) en diferentes edades y etapas del ciclo de vida. Agriculture. 2022;12(11):1924. doi:10.3390/agriculture12111924.

[12] Medrano Vega LC. Larvas de gusano de harina (Tenebrio molitor) como alternativa proteica en la alimentación animal [Tesis de Licenciatura]. Bogotá: Universidad Nacional Abierta y a Distancia (UNAD), Escuela de Ciencias Agrícolas, Pecuarias y del Medio Ambiental; 2019.

[13] Moruzzo R, Riccioli F, Espinosa Díaz S, Secci C, Poli G, Mancini S. Gusano de la harina (Tenebrio molitor): potencial y desafíos para promover la economía circular. Animals. 2021;11(9):2568. doi:10.3390/ani11092568.

[14] Suchý P, Straková E. The nutritional value of mealworm (Tenebrio molitor), its breeding and its perspective application in nutrition. Scientific Committee on Animal Nutrition, European Food Safety Authority. Prague; 2024. Report No.: FR-0036. doi:10.2903/fr.efsa.2024.FR-0036.

[15] Papastavropoulou K, Koupa A, Kritikou E, Kostakis M, Dervisoglou S, Roussos A, et al. Study of the effect of feeding Tenebrio molitor larvae during their rearing on their growth, nutritional profile, value and safety of the produced flour. Food Chem X. 2024;24:101838. doi:10.1016/j.fochx.2024.101838.

[16] Langston K, Selaledi L, Tanga C, Yusuf A. The nutritional profile of the yellow mealworm larvae (Tenebrio molitor) reared on four different substrates. Future Foods. 2024;9:100388. doi:10.1016/j.fufo.2024.100388.

[17] Villanova JCV, Pretto A, Penchel EM, Serra SDS, Lanes CFC, Ribeiro VB, et al. Bioactive peptides from Tenebrio molitor: physicochemical and antioxidant properties and antimicrobial capacity. An Acad Bras Cienc. 2024;96(Suppl 1):e20231375. doi:10.1590/0001-3765202320231375.

[18] Ryu HJ, Lee SO. Mealworm-derived protein hydrolysates enhance adipogenic differentiation via mitotic clonal expansion in 3T3-L1 cells. Foods. 2025;14(2):217. doi:10.3390/foods14020217.

[19] Puri V, Nagpal M, Singh I, Singh M, Dhingra GA, Huanbutta K, et al. A comprehensive review on nutraceuticals: therapy support and formulation challenges. Nutrients. 2022;14(21):4637. doi:10.3390/nu14214637.

[20] Park BM, Jung BG, Lee JA, Lee BJ. Mitigating effects of Tenebrio molitor larvae powder administration in mice with dextran sodium sulfate (DSS)-induced colitis. Asian Pac J Cancer Prev. 2023;24(5):1751–1758. doi:10.31557/APJCP.2023.24.5.1751.

[21] de Matos FM, Soares de Castro RJ, et al. Characterization and identification of potential antioxidant, antidiabetic, and antihypertensive peptides from hydrolysates of Tenebrio molitor flour and its protein concentrate. J Food Sci. 2025;90(10):e70595. doi:10.1111/1750-3841.70595.

[22] Muñoz-Seijas N, Fernandes H, Fernández B, Domínguez JM, Salgado JM. Eco-friendly technologies for obtaining antioxidant compounds and protein hydrolysates from edible insect Tenebrio molitor beetles. Food Chem. 2024;464:141726. doi:10.1016/j.foodchem.2024.141726.

[23] Cho HR, Lee SO. Novel hepatoprotective peptides derived from protein hydrolysates of mealworm (Tenebrio molitor). Food Res Int. 2020;133:109194. doi:10.1016/j.foodres.2020.109194.

[24] Rivero-Pino F, González-de la Rosa T, Montserrat-de la Paz S. Edible insects as a source of biopeptides and their role in immunonutrition. Food Funct. 2024;15:2789–2798. doi:10.1039/D4FO00489J.

[25] Fan M, Wedamulla NE, Choi YJ, Zhang Q, Bae SM, Kim EK. Tenebrio molitor larva trypsin hydrolysate ameliorates atopic dermatitis in C57BL/6 mice by targeting the TLR-mediated MyD88-dependent MAPK signaling pathway. Nutrients. 2023;15(1):93. doi:10.3390/nu15010093.

[26] Rossi G, Mattioli S, Rondoni G, Dal Bosco A, Servili M, Castellini C, Conti E. Characterisation of fatty acid profiles of Tenebrio molitor larvae reared on diets enriched with edible oils. J Insects Food Feed. 2022;8(3):307–316. doi:10.3920/JIFF2021.0164.

[27] Fasel N, Mene-Saffrane L, Ruczynski I, Komar E, Christe P. Diet-induced modifications of fatty acid composition in mealworm larvae (Tenebrio molitor). J Food Res. 2017;6(5):22–32. doi:10.5539/jfr.v6n5p22.

[28] Boukid F, Riudavets J, del Arco L, Castellari M. Impact of diets including agro-industrial by-products on the fatty acid and sterol profiles of larvae biomass from Ephestia kuehniella, Tenebrio molitor and Hermetia illucens. Insects. 2021;12(8):672. doi:10.3390/insects12080672.

[29] Hachero-Cruzado I, Betancor MB, Coronel-Dominguez AJ, Manchado M, Alarcón-López FJ. Assessment of full-fat Tenebrio molitor as feed ingredient for Solea senegalensis: effects on growth performance and lipid profile. Animals. 2024;14(4):595. doi:10.3390/ani14040595.

[30] Gowda SB, Sasaki Y, Hasegawa E, Chiba H, Hui S-P. Lipid fingerprinting of yellow mealworm Tenebrio molitor by untargeted liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry. J Insects Food Feed. 2021;8(2):1–12. doi:10.3920/JIFF2020.0119.

[31] Mlček J, Adámková A, Adámek M, Borkovcová M, Bednářová M, Knížková I. Fat from Tenebrionidae bugs – sterols content, fatty acid profiles, and cardiovascular risk indexes. Pol J Food Nutr Sci. 2019;69(3):247–254. doi:10.31883/pjfns/109666.

[32] Lee S, Kim M, Cho H, Lee G-H. Determination of triacylglycerol composition in mealworm oil (Tenebrio molitor) via electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry with multiple neutral loss scans. Insects. 2024;15(5):365. doi:10.3390/insects15050365.

[33] Noyens I, Schoeters F, Van Peer M, Berrens S, Goossens S, Van Miert S. The nutritional profile, mineral content and heavy metal uptake of yellow mealworm reared with supplementation of agricultural sidestreams. Sci Rep. 2023;13(1):38747. doi:10.1038/s41598-023-38747-w.

[34] Syahrulawal L, Torske MO, Sapkota R, Naess G, Khanal P. Improving the nutritional values of yellow mealworm Tenebrio molitor (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae) larvae as an animal feed ingredient: a review. J Anim Sci Biotechnol. 2023;14(1):146. doi:10.1186/s40104-023-00945-x.

[35] Schmidt A, Call LM, Macheiner L, Mayer HK. Determination of vitamin B12 in four edible insect species by immunoaffinity and ultra-high performance liquid chromatography. Food Chem. 2019;281:124–129. doi:10.1016/j.foodchem.2018.12.039.

[36] EFSA Panel on Nutrition, Novel Foods and Food Allergens (NDA); Turck D, Bohn T, Castenmiller J, De Henauw S, Hirsch-Ernst KI, et al. Safety of frozen and dried formulations from whole yellow mealworm (Tenebrio molitor larva) as a novel food pursuant to Regulation (EU) 2015/2283. EFSA J. 2021;19(8):e06778. doi:10.2903/j.efsa.2021.6778.

[37] Truzzi C, Illuminati S, Girolametti F, Antonucci M, Scarponi G, Ruschioni S, et al. Influence of feeding substrates on the presence of toxic metals (Cd, Pb, Ni, As, Hg) in larvae of Tenebrio molitor: risk assessment for human consumption. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2019;16(23):4815. doi:10.3390/ijerph16234815.

[38] Hammer L, Moretti D, Abbühl-Eng L, Kandiah P, Hilaj N, Portmann R, Egger L. Mealworm larvae (Tenebrio molitor) and crickets (Acheta domesticus) show high total protein in vitro digestibility and can provide good-to-excellent protein quality as determined by in vitro DIAAS. Front Nutr. 2023;10:1150581. doi:10.3389/fnut.2023.1150581.

[39] Adegboye AR, Bawa M, Keith R, Twefik S, Tewfik I. Edible insects: sustainable nutrient-rich foods to tackle food insecurity and malnutrition. World Nutr. 2021;12(4):176–189. doi:10.26596/wn.2021124176-189.

[40] Noyens I, Van Peer M, Goossens S, Ter Heide C, Van Miert S. The nutritional quality of commercially bred yellow mealworm (Tenebrio molitor) compared to European Union nutrition claims. Insects. 2024;15(10):769. doi:10.3390/insects15100769.

[41] Kotsou K, Chatzimitakos T, Athanasiadis V, Bozinou E, Lalas S. Exploiting agri-food waste as feed for Tenebrio molitor larvae rearing: a review. Foods. 2024;13(7):1027. doi:10.3390/foods13071027.

[42] Granados-Echegoyen C, Vásquez-López A, Calderón-Cortés N, Gallego-Ocampo HL, Gómez-Rodríguez CH, Rodríguez-Vélez JM, et al. Brief overview of edible insects: exploring consumption and promising sustainable uses in Latin America. Front Sustain Food Syst. 2024;8:1385081. doi:10.3389/fsufs.2024.1385081.

[43] Muñoz-Seijas N, Fernandes H, Domínguez JM, Salgado JM. Recent advances in biorefinery of Tenebrio molitor adopting green technologies. Food Bioprocess Technol. 2024;18(2):1061–1078. doi:10.1007/s11947-024-03510-0.

[44] Rema P, Saravanan S, Armenjon B, Motte C, Dias J. Graded incorporation of defatted yellow mealworm (Tenebrio molitor) in rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) diet improves growth performance and nutrient retention. Animals. 2019;9(4):187. doi:10.3390/ani9040187.

[45] Shafique L, Abdel-Latif HMR, Hassan F, Alagawany M, Naiel MAE, Dawood MAO, et al. The feasibility of using yellow mealworms (Tenebrio molitor): towards a sustainable aquafeed industry. Animals. 2021;11(3):811. doi:10.3390/ani11030811.

[46] Chemello G, Renna M, Caimi C, Guerreiro I, Oliva-Teles A, Enes P, et al. Partially defatted Tenebrio molitor larva meal in diets for grow-out rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss Walbaum): effects on growth performance, diet digestibility and metabolic responses. Animals. 2020;10(2):229. doi:10.3390/ani10020229.

[47] Bovera F, Piccolo G, Gasco L, Marono S, Loponte R, Vassalotti G, et al. Yellow mealworm larvae (Tenebrio molitor L.) as a possible alternative to soybean meal in broiler diets. Br Poult Sci. 2015;56(5):569–575. doi:10.1080/00071668.2015.1080815.

[48] Biasato I, Ferrocino I, Grego E, Dabbou S, Gai F, Gasco L, et al. Gut microbiota and mucin composition in female broiler chickens fed diets including yellow mealworm (Tenebrio molitor L.). Animals. 2019;9(5):213. doi:10.3390/ani9050213.

[49] Hong J, Han T, Kim YY. Mealworm (Tenebrio molitor larvae) as an alternative protein source for monogastric animals: a review. Animals. 2020;10(11):2068. doi:10.3390/ani10112068.

[50] Biasato I, De Marco M, Rotolo L, Renna M, Lussiana C, Dabbou S, et al. Effects of dietary Tenebrio molitor meal inclusion in free-range chickens. J Anim Physiol Anim Nutr (Berl). 2016;100(6):1104–1112. doi:10.1111/jpn.12487.

[51] Józefiak A, Benzertiha A, Kierończyk B, Łukomska A, Wesołowska I, Rawski M. Improvement of cecal commensal microbiome following the insect additive into chicken diet. Animals. 2020;10(4):577. doi:10.3390/ani10040577.

[52] Vasilopoulos S, Giannenas I, Mellidou I, Stylianaki I, Antonopoulou E, Tzora A, et al. Diet replacement with whole insect larvae affects intestinal morphology and microbiota of broiler chickens. Sci Rep. 2024;14(1):54184. doi:10.1038/s41598-024-54184-9.

[53] Jin XH, Heo PS, Hong JS, Kim NJ, Kim YY. Supplementation of dried mealworm (Tenebrio molitor larva) on growth performance, nutrient digestibility and blood profiles in weaning pigs. Asian-Australas J Anim Sci. 2016;29(7):979–986. doi:10.5713/ajas.15.0535.