scholarly journals Insects Used as Food and Feed: Isn’t That What We All Need?

Foods ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (8) ◽  
pp. 1003 ◽  
Author(s):  
Victor Benno Meyer-Rochow ◽  
Chuleui Jung

This Special Issue of Foods explores different aspects of how insects can be used as a novel resource for food and feed. Some contributions deal with questions of acceptability and legality, others tackle problems related to innovative techniques in processing and marketing food, and yet another group of papers highlights the use of insects and their bio-active products in the context of promoting human health. The collective aim of the contributions by the researchers from at least 20 countries is to examine whether the use of insects—be it for food, feed, or therapeutic purposes—has a future. We conclude that positive aspects undoubtedly exist regarding the nutritional and pharmacological value of various insect species but that environmental and bio-functional issues could even outweigh the nutritional value of food insects.

Atmosphere ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (4) ◽  
pp. 462
Author(s):  
Manousos-Ioannis Manousakas

Research related to ambient particulate matter (PM) remains very relative today due to the adverse effects PM have on human health. [...]


2021 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 24-36
Author(s):  
Raquel P. F. Guiné ◽  
Paula Correia ◽  
Catarina Coelho ◽  
Cristina A. Costa

Abstract This review is focused on the utilization of insects as a new opportunity in food and feed products, including their commercialization both in traditional and new markets. It has been suggested that insects are considerably more sustainable when compared with other sources of animal protein, thus alleviating the pressure over the environment and the planet facing the necessity to feed the world population, constantly increasing. Many chefs have adhered to the trend of using insects in their culinary preparations, bringing insects to the plan of top gastronomy, highlighting their organoleptic qualities allied to a recognized high nutritional value. However, in some markets, insects or insect-based products are not readily accepted because of neophobia and disgust. Moreover, the insect markets, farming, and commercialization are experiencing a huge growth, in which the domain of animal feed is undoubtedly a very strong component. The future of insects as human food and animal feed seems promising in view of the recent trends and challenges.


Marine Drugs ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 19 (2) ◽  
pp. 113
Author(s):  
Marine Remize ◽  
Yves Brunel ◽  
Joana L. Silva ◽  
Jean-Yves Berthon ◽  
Edith Filaire

N-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 PUFAs), and especially eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), are essential compounds for human health. They have been proven to act positively on a panel of diseases and have interesting anti-oxidative, anti-inflammatory or anti-cancer properties. For these reasons, they are receiving more and more attention in recent years, especially future food or feed development. EPA and DHA come mainly from marine sources like fish or seaweed. Unfortunately, due to global warming, these compounds are becoming scarce for humans because of overfishing and stock reduction. Although increasing in recent years, aquaculture appears insufficient to meet the increasing requirements of these healthy molecules for humans. One alternative resides in the cultivation of microalgae, the initial producers of EPA and DHA. They are also rich in biochemicals with interesting properties. After defining macro and microalgae, this review synthesizes the current knowledge on n-3 PUFAs regarding health benefits and the challenges surrounding their supply within the environmental context. Microalgae n-3 PUFA production is examined and its synthesis pathways are discussed. Finally, the use of EPA and DHA in food and feed is investigated. This work aims to define better the issues surrounding n-3 PUFA production and supply and the potential of microalgae as a sustainable source of compounds to enhance the food and feed of the future.


2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Z. M. Hassan ◽  
N. A. Sebola ◽  
M. Mabelebele

AbstractWorldwide, millets are regarded as a significant grain, however, they are the least exploited. Millet grain is abundant in nutrients and health-beneficial phenolic compounds, making it suitable as food and feed. The diverse content of nutrients and phenolic compounds present in finger and pearl millet are good indicators that the variety of millet available is important when selecting it for use as food or feed. The phenolic properties found in millets compromise phenolic acids, flavonoids, and tannins, which are beneficial to human health. Moreover, finger millet has an exceptionally unique, more abundant, and diverse phenolic profile compared to pearl millet. Research has shown that millet phenolic properties have high antioxidant activity. The presence of phytochemicals in millet grains has positive effect on human health by lowering the cholesterol and phytates in the body. The frantic demands on maize and its uses in multiple industries have merited the search for alternative grains, to ease the pressure. Substitution of maize with pearl and finger millets in the diets of different animals resulted in positive impact on the performance. Including these grains in the diet may improve health and decrease the risks of diseases. Pearl millet of 50% or more can be used in broiler diets without adversely affecting broiler performance or egg production. Of late, millet grain has been incorporated in other foods and used to make traditional beverages. Thus, the core aim of this review is to provide insight and comprehension about the nutritional and phenolic status of millets and their impact on human and livestock.


Toxins ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 92
Author(s):  
Dipendra Kumar Mahato ◽  
Sheetal Devi ◽  
Shikha Pandhi ◽  
Bharti Sharma ◽  
Kamlesh Kumar Maurya ◽  
...  

Mycotoxins represent an assorted range of secondary fungal metabolites that extensively occur in numerous food and feed ingredients at any stage during pre- and post-harvest conditions. Zearalenone (ZEN), a mycotoxin categorized as a xenoestrogen poses structural similarity with natural estrogens that enables its binding to the estrogen receptors leading to hormonal misbalance and numerous reproductive diseases. ZEN is mainly found in crops belonging to temperate regions, primarily in maize and other cereal crops that form an important part of various food and feed. Because of the significant adverse effects of ZEN on both human and animal, there is an alarming need for effective detection, mitigation, and management strategies to assure food and feed safety and security. The present review tends to provide an updated overview of the different sources, occurrence and biosynthetic mechanisms of ZEN in various food and feed. It also provides insight to its harmful effects on human health and agriculture along with its effective detection, management, and control strategies.


2011 ◽  
Vol 1 (5) ◽  
pp. 1-2
Author(s):  
Lavkush Dwivedi

Infectious diseases and consequent immune imbalancesare major constraint in human health managementthroughout the world. However, in recentdecades enormous efforts have been made to elucidatethe immunomodulatory approaches againstinfectious diseases. Immunomodulation is a therapeuticapproach in which we try to intervene inauto regulating processes of the defense system toadjust the immune response at a desired level.The present special issue on cutting edge issues inImmunomodulation like Immune stimulation, Immunesuppression, Immune potentiating and immunereinforcement summarizes our current understandingof this complex mosaic. The accompanyingselection of recent articles from across theworld provides further insight into this topic. 


2017 ◽  
Vol 5 (3) ◽  
pp. 249-256 ◽  
Author(s):  
DAVID R. SCHAEFER ◽  
JIMI ADAMS

Historically, health has played an important role in network research, and vice versa (Valente, 2010). This intersection has contributed to how we understand human health as well as the development of network concepts, theory, and methods. Throughout, dynamics have featured prominently. Even when limited to static methods, the emphasis in each of these fields on providing causal explanations has led researchers to draw upon theories that are dynamic, often explicitly. Here, we elaborate a variety of ways to conceptualize the relationship between health and network dynamics, show how these possibilities are reflected in the existing literature, highlight how the articles within this special issue expand that understanding, and finally, identify paths for future research to push this intersection forward.


Nutrients ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (11) ◽  
pp. 3922
Author(s):  
Elena González-Burgos ◽  
M. Pilar Gómez-Serranillos

This book, based on a Special Issue of Nutrients, contains a total of 12 papers (8 original research and 4 reviews) on the effect of phenolic compounds on human health. [...]


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document