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. 2023 Apr 18;28(8):3556.
doi: 10.3390/molecules28083556.

Bioactive Compounds and Antioxidant Composition of Nut Bars with Addition of Various Edible Insect Flours

Dorota Gumul  1 , Joanna Oracz  2 , Stanisław Kowalski  1 , Anna Mikulec  3 , Magdalena Skotnicka  4 , Kaja Karwowska  4 , Anna Areczuk  1
Affiliations

Bioactive Compounds and Antioxidant Composition of Nut Bars with Addition of Various Edible Insect Flours

Dorota Gumul et al. Molecules. .

Abstract

Edible insects represent a new functional source of nutrients that can contribute to solving nutritional deficiency problems. The antioxidant potential and bioactive compounds of nut bars with the addition of three edible insects were evaluated. Acheta domesticus L., Alphitobius diaperinus P. and Tenebrio molitor L. flours were used. A 30% share of insect flour in the bars resulted in significantly greater antioxidant activity (TPC increased from 190.19 for standard bars to 309.45 mg catechin/100 g for bars with 30% addition of cricket flour). Insect flour contributed significantly to an increase in 2,5-dihydrobenzoic acid (from 0.12 for bars with a 15% share of buffalo worm flour to 0.44 mg/100 g in the case of bars with a 30% share of cricket flour) and chlorogenic acid in all bars (from 0.58 for bars with a 15% share of cricket flour to 3.28 mg/100 g for bars with a 30% addition of buffalo worm flour), compared to the standard. The highest content of tocopherols was found in bars with cricket flour, compared to standard bars (43.57 and 24.06 mg/100 g of fat, respectively). The dominant sterol in bars enriched with insect powder was cholesterol. The highest amount of it was found in cricket bars, and the lowest in mealworm bars (64.16 and 21.62 mg/100 g of fat, respectively). The enrichment of nut bars with insect flours raises the levels of valuable phytosterols in the final product. The addition of edible insect flours reduced the perception of most sensory attributes of the bars, compared to the standard bar.

Keywords: antioxidant properties; edible insects; nut bar; phenolic compounds; phytosterols; tocopherols.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Composition of tocopherols in the standard and edible insect flour-substituted bars (Values marked with the same letter do not differ statistically significantly at p < 0.05).
Figure 2
Figure 2
Composition of sterols in the standard and edible insect flour-substituted bars (Values marked with the same letter do not differ statistically significantly at p < 0.05).
Figure 3
Figure 3
Directions of changes in features assessed in sensory analysis: (a) bars with 15% of insect flours; (b) bars with 30% of insect flours.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Directions of changes in features assessed in sensory analysis: (a) bars with 15% of insect flours; (b) bars with 30% of insect flours.
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