Insect Lipids as Novel Source for Future Applications: Chemical Composition and Industry Applications-A Comprehensive...

Area of Science:

• Entomology
• Nutritional Science
• Biochemistry

Background:

• Insects possess significant lipid content, with insect oil having potential applications in food, feed, cosmetics, and biofuels.
• Lipids are primarily composed of fatty acids (FAs), crucial for nutrition, with insects' fat body (FB) playing a key role in lipid synthesis and storage.
• Approximately 1900 insect species are consumed globally, particularly in Asia, Latin America, and Africa, highlighting their dietary importance.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the nutritional value of insects as sources of fats and fatty acids.
• To explore the potential of insect lipids in various industries, including food, feed, and cosmetics.
• To contribute to the understanding of insect lipid metabolism for efficient mass rearing and harvesting.

Main Methods:

• Literature review of insect species consumed by humans and their lipid content.
• Analysis of various lipid extraction methodologies applied to insects.
• Comparison of insect fat/oil content with conventional sources like palm oil.

Main Results:

• Coleoptera, Lepidoptera, and Isoptera orders exhibit high fat/oil content, comparable to palm and palm kernel oil.
• Specific insect species like *Samia ricini* (larval stage) show high crude fat content.
• Various extraction methods, including aqueous, Soxhlet, and supercritical fluid extraction, are employed for insect lipids.

Conclusions:

• Insects represent a viable and potentially valuable source of fats and fatty acids.
• Understanding insect lipid metabolism is essential for optimizing their utilization in human diets and animal feed.
• Safe, legal, and accepted insect-derived lipids can be integrated into food and feed products.