Submerged fermentation using Aspergillus tubingensis as an efficient strategy to obtain antioxidant extracts from black cricket proteins

Abstract

In recent years, there has been growing interest in edible insects as a novel food source due to their high nutritional value and more sustainable cultivation system compared to traditional animal sources. Edible insects are rich in proteins, which can be used to produce bioactive peptides through enzymatic hydrolysis or fermentation. The main objective of this study was to evaluate the production of an antioxidant extract using proteins extracted from the black cricket (Gryllus assimilis) as a substrate for the submerged fermentative process conducted by the filamentous fungus Aspergillus tubingensis. A response surface methodology (CCRD) was employed to investigate the effect of glucose and black cricket protein concentrations in the culture medium on the release of the peptides. The results demonstrated that the maximum values for DPPH (290.79 µmol TE g–1), ABTS (862.82 µmol TE g–1), and FRAP (1020.11 µmol TE g–1) were obtained at 72 or 96 h of fermentation using lower concentrations of both protein and glucose. These findings confirm that black cricket proteins are suitable for producing an antioxidant extract via microbial fermentation.