scholarly journals The yellow mealworm (Tenebrio molitor) genome: a resource for the emerging insects as food and feed industry

2020 ◽  
Vol 6 (5) ◽  
pp. 445-455
Author(s):  
T. Eriksson ◽  
A.A. Andere ◽  
H. Kelstrup ◽  
V.J. Emery ◽  
C.J. Picard

The yellow mealworm, the larval stage of the darkling beetle Tenebrio molitor, shows great promise as an alternative source of animal protein. Herein we present the 312 Mb draft genome assembled using 10x Genomics linked-read technology to inform research efforts and to provide resources to optimise yellow mealworm for mass production and consumption. The genome with a contig N50 of 39,478 bp contains 89% of conserved arthropod genes among the > 20,000 genes assembled (complete and partial genes). This draft assembly represents a valuable resource to understanding T. molitor biology as a means of producing alternative, sustainable protein for the growing population and in the face of changing climates.

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-12
Author(s):  
S. G. B. Gowda ◽  
Y. Sasaki ◽  
E. Hasegawa ◽  
H. Chiba ◽  
S. P. Hui

Insects such as Tenebrio molitor have been considered an alternative source of nutrition for animals and have also been adopted as human food throughout history, especially in Asia and Africa. Lipids are the second most abundant component followed by proteins. However, studies focusing on comprehensive lipid composition analsysis of these widely reared species are limited. The untargeted lipidomic analysis of yellow mealworm larvae (T. molitor) led to the identification of several lipid molecular species from lipid classes such as: free fatty acids, sphingolipids, phospholipids, and triacylglycerols. The results revealed that polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) (45%) are the most abundant fatty acids, followed by monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs) (42%) and saturated fatty acids (13%). Fatty acids such as FA 18:1 and FA 18:2 are the most abundant fatty acids and are substantially enriched in other complex lipids in the form of esters. Moreover, functional lipids such as sphingomyelins, ceramides, cardiolipins, phosphatidylinositols, and phosphatidylethanolamines were characterised for the first time, with a large number of MUFAs and PUFAs as their main acyl chains. Overall, our data showed the occurrence of multiple structurally diverse lipids in T. molitor, suggesting that mealworms are not only enriched with proteins but also have several functional lipids, which are highly beneficial to human and animal health. Thus, the larvae of T. molitor could serve as a promising candidate for the development of functional food and feed products.


2021 ◽  
pp. 1-12
Author(s):  
R.E.Y. Seho ◽  
R.L. Monteiro ◽  
J. De Dea Lindner ◽  
M. Miotto ◽  
B.A.M. Carciofi ◽  
...  

Larvae of Tenebrio molitor (yellow mealworm; YM) are an alternative to conventional animal protein as food and feed thanks to their high nutritional value and low environmental impact for production. Since some studies have reported high water activity (aw) with different microbial contamination levels, blanching and drying can be employed to reduce microbial load, enzymatic activity, moisture content, and water activity, ensuring safety and preserving YM for longer periods. This study applied rinsing or blanching followed by vacuum- or multiflash drying, aiming to preserve YM by reducing aw and the microbial load, enabling its use as food and feed. The processing impact on YM colour was evaluated, and they were also subjected to an Escherichia coli contaminated wheat bran to perform a challenge test to evaluate the effectiveness of the decontamination. Drying curves were determined for each situation. Multiflash drying procedure was faster than vacuum drying for reducing YM moisture. Additionally, blanched samples required a shorter period to reach the targeted water activity (0.2-0.3) than rinsed samples. Blanching plus vacuum drying reduced more than 5 log E. coli load in YM in the challenge test. Vacuum drying preserved YM brightness the most. In conclusion, this study showed that drying could provide shelf-stable YM. Besides, only 15 s of blanching before drying gives better brightness and leads to a greater microbial reduction after a relatively short drying time.


Foods ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (11) ◽  
pp. 1528
Author(s):  
Pauline Kooh ◽  
Vanessa Jury ◽  
Sophie Laurent ◽  
Frédérique Audiat-Perrin ◽  
Moez Sanaa ◽  
...  

Entomophagy has been part of human diets for a long time in a significant part of the world, but insects are considered to be a novel food everywhere else. It would appear to be a strategic alternative in the future of human diet to face the challenge of ensuring food security for a growing world population, using more environmentally sustainable production systems than those required for the rearing of other animals. Tenebrio molitor, called yellow mealworm, is one of the most interesting insect species in view of mass rearing, and can be processed into a powder that ensures a long shelf life for its use in many potential products. When considering insects as food or feed, it is necessary to guarantee their safety. Therefore, manufacturers must implement a Hazard Analysis Critical Control plan (HACCP), to limit risks for consumers’ health. The aim of this case study was to develop a HACCP plan for Tenebrio molitor larvae powders for food in a risk-based approach to support their implementation in industry. Specific purposes were to identify related significant biological hazards and to assess the efficiency of different manufacturing process steps when used as Critical Control Points. Then, combinations of four different processes with four potential uses of powders by consumers in burger, protein shake, baby porridge, and biscuits were analyzed with regard to their safety.


2020 ◽  
Vol 36 (6) ◽  
pp. 78-86
Author(s):  
P.I. Akentyev ◽  
I.I. Gubaidullin ◽  
N.I. Zhiganov ◽  
V.F. Tereshchenkova ◽  
E.N. Elpidina ◽  
...  

A strain of the Komagataella kurtzmanii yeast, a producer of recombinant peptidase SerP38 from the yellow mealworm Tenebrio molitor, has been obtained. The level of the pro-enzyme secretion was 20-50 mg/L. It was shown that, during secretion in yeast, the target His6-tagged protein was produced in two forms. One of them was a monomer that was efficiently purified by Ni-NTA chromatography and then activated with trypsin. Another form accumulated in the culture medium as oligomers prone to aggregation in the presence of Ni2+ ions and was not activated by trypsin treatment. Aggregation is likely the result of incorrect folding of the polypeptide chain. Tenebrio molitor, S1 family serine peptidase, SerP38, yeast, Komagataella kurtzmanii, ion-dependent aggregation


Animals ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. 187 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paulo Rema ◽  
Subramanian Saravanan ◽  
Benjamin Armenjon ◽  
Constant Motte ◽  
Jorge Dias

Insects are emerging as a sustainable alternative to fishmeal and fish oil in aquafeeds. This study assessed the effect of graded incorporation levels of defatted yellow mealworm (Tenebrio molitor) protein meal on juvenile rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) growth performance, body composition, and apparent nutrient digestibility. The trial comprised five dietary treatments: control diet with 25% fishmeal, and four experimental diets with yellow mealworm protein meal at 5%, 7.5%, 15%, or 25%, which corresponded to a fishmeal replacement of 20%, 30%, 60%, or 100%, respectively. After 90 days, the graded incorporation of insect protein meal led to a significant stepwise increase in final body weight, and a significant improvement of specific growth rate, feed conversion ratio, and protein efficiency ratio compared to the control treatment. Regardless of the incorporation level, the insect protein meal had no effects on fish whole-body composition and apparent digestibility coefficients of dry matter, protein, fat, phosphorus, and energy. Protein, phosphorus, and energy retention significantly increased in fish fed the diets with an insect protein meal. In conclusion, the yellow mealworm protein meal could effectively replace 100% of fishmeal in the diet of juvenile rainbow trout with positive effects on its overall zootechnical performance.


2022 ◽  
Author(s):  
Armaghan Saeb ◽  
Sarah Maria Grundmann ◽  
Denise K Gessner ◽  
Sven Schuchardt ◽  
Erika Most ◽  
...  

an alternative and sustainable source of food and feed. A byproduct from mass-rearing of insect larvae are the shed cuticles - the most external components of insects which are a...


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