Edible Insect Locusta migratoria, an Alternative Food Resource, Ameliorates Orotic Acid-induced Hypertriglyceridemia...

The anticipated increase in the global population and dyslipidemia will need available food resources, such as edible insects, to meet nutritional and pharmaceutical merits. Among edible insects, Locusta migratoria (namely, migratory locust) (ML), which contains n-3 fatty acids capable of binding to multiple lipids, phytosterols, and dietary fiber chitin, are expected to be a therapeutic resource for ameliorating dyslipidemia as well as an alternative protein resource. We hypothesized that the ML supplementation represented the beneficial effect on lipid metabolism in the plasma and liver of male rats with dyslipidemia induced by an AIN-93G based diet containing a low level of orotic acid (OA) (0.6 % in diet) for two weeks. The 0.6 % OA treatment, which was determined in a preliminary study on loading dosage suitable for evaluating food ingredients, did not affect the growth and severe lipid accumulation, but induced liver hypertrophy with low-moderate hematological observations and hypertriglyceridemia. The ML supplementation led to a reduction in plasma triacylglycerol levels in OA-treated rats, particularly in the chylomicron, very-low-density lipoprotein, and low-density lipoprotein (LDL), particularly small-dense LDL, fractions. In the liver, the ML supplementation also significantly or slightly reduced mRNA expression related to lipogenesis and LDL uptake genes, including Srebf2, Ldlr, Psck9, Hmgcr, Acaca, and Scd1. Moreover, the ratios of n-3 fatty acids, such as α-linolenic and docosapentanoic acids, were increased in the liver and the indices representing fatty acid desaturation in the plasma were suppressed following the ML supplementation. These results have agreed with our hypothesis that the ML supplementation ameliorates lipid metabolism by modulating hepatic lipogenesis, fatty acid metabolism, and LDL receptor function in OA-treated rats. Therefore, ML can serve as a functional and alternative food resource for ameliorating hypertriglyceridemia.