Minor lipophilic compounds in edible insects

Monika Sabolová,Lenka Kouřimská,Jan Pánek,Diana Chrpová,Anna Adámková

doi:10.5219/605

Abstract

Contemporary society is faced with the question how to ensure suffiecient nutrition (quantity and quality) for rapidly growing population. One solution can be consumption of edible insect, which can have very good nutritional value (dietary energy, protein, fatty acids, fibers, dietary minerals and vitamins composition). Some edible insects species, which contains a relatively large amount of fat, can have a potential to be a „good" (interesting, new) source of minor lipophilic compounds such as sterols (cholesterol and phytosterols) and tocopherols in our diet. For this reason, the objective of this work was to characterize the sterols and tocopherols composition of fat from larvae of edible insect Zophobas morio L. and Tenebrio mollitor L. Cholesterol and three phytosterols (campesterol, stigmasterol and β-sitosterol) were reliably identified and quantified after hot saponification and derivatization by GC-MS. Other steroid compounds, including 5,6-trans-cholecalciferol were identified only according to the NIST library. Cholesterol was the predominant sterol in all analysed samples. Both types of larvae also contained high amount of phytosterols. Different region of origin had a no significant impact on sterols composition, while the effect of beetle genus was crucial. Tocopherols were analysed by reverse phase HPLC coupled with amperometric detection. Tocopherols content in mealworm larvae was lower than content in edible oils, but important from the nutritional point of view. Change of tocopherols composition was not observed during the storage under different conditions. Larvae of edible insect can be a potential good dietary source of cholesterol, but also vitamin D3 isomers, phytosterols and tocopherols.

Highlights

The large group of minor lipophylic compounds include higher hydrocarbons, alcohols, ketones and diketones, steroids, lipophilic vitamins, pigments and other compounds
An intermediate in the biosynthesis of cholesterol is 7-dehydrocholesterol, which is a precursor of vitamin D3
The results indicate, that the extent of cholesterol synthesis is probably determined genetically and the influence of climate or type of feed is negligible

Summary

Introduction

The large group of minor lipophylic compounds include higher hydrocarbons, alcohols, ketones and diketones, steroids, lipophilic vitamins, pigments and other compounds. Steroids and lipophilic vitamins are most important compounds from this group. Several steroid compounds are usually present in plants and organisms, but the major steroids are phytosterols and cholesterol. Reaction gives an important intermediate, farnesyl diphosphate. Two molecules of farnesyl phosphate give rise to triterpenic hydrocarbon squalene, which in the body of animals yields triterpenic alcohol lanosterol and the triterpenic alcohol cycloartenol in plants. Lanosterol in animals is a precursor for the biosynthesis of the most important zoosterol cholesterol. An intermediate in the biosynthesis of cholesterol is 7-dehydrocholesterol, which is a precursor of vitamin D3. Cholesterol in the body is used for the biosynthesis of steroid hormones and bile acids (Velíšek, 2014)

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Conclusion