The Impact of Insect Flour on Sourdough Fermentation-Fatty Acids, Amino-Acids, Minerals and Volatile Profile.

Abstract

Simple SummaryAcheta domesticus (house cricket) flour is one of the most promising and sustainable sources of nutrients. It is rich in protein, minerals, fatty acids, amino acids, and vitamins and it has a low impact on the consumption of natural environmental resources. On the other side, fermentation with lactic acid bacteria represents a technological tool that can improve further the nutritional quality of flours. Therefore, the aim of the present research was to study the adaptability of the Lactobacillus plantarum strain on insect flour fermentation. Fatty acids, amino acids, minerals, and aroma volatile compounds were analyzed during 48 h of fermentation. Fermentation improved the nutritional quantity of the bioactive compounds, mainly after 24 h of fermentation, where they reached higher extended values. Overall, our findings indicate that insect flour is able to support the growth and development of the Lactobacillus plantarum strain, leading to an enriched insect flour sourdough that could be further used in the manufacturing of new products.Acheta domesticus (L.1758) has been recently accepted by the European Union as a novel food, being the third insect that has been approved for human consumption. Nowadays, researchers’ attention is focused on exploiting new protein sustainable sources, and, therefore, insect flour has gained more and more interest. Organic acids, fatty acids, amino acids, aroma volatile compounds, and minerals were analyzed through HPLC-RID (High-performance liquid chromatography), GC-MS (Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry), LC-MS (Liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry), ITEX/GC-MS and AAS (Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometry), respectively. Fermentation of the insect flour with Lactobacillus plantarum ATCC 8014 strain (Lp) leads to an increase in organic acids such as lactic, acetic, and oxalic, whilst citric acid decreases its value. SFA (saturated fatty acids) and MUFA (monosaturated fatty acids) groups were positively influenced by Lp fermentation; meanwhile, PUFA (polysaturated fatty acids) decreased during fermentation. A positive trend was observed for amino acids, aroma volatile content, and minerals enhancement during insect sourdough fermentation, mainly at 24 h of fermentation. Acheta domesticus (A. domesticus) sourdough fermentation represents a new tool that needs to be further exploited aiming to improve the nutritional qualities of the final products.