Mealworm larvae (Tenebrio molitor) and crickets (Acheta domesticus) show high total protein in vitro digestibility and can provide good-to-excellent protein quality as determined by in vitro DIAAS.

ABSTRACT: Edible insects, such as mealworms (Tenebrio molitor larvae; TM) and crickets (Acheta domesticus; AD), are a sustainable, protein-dense novel food with a favorable amino acid profile, which might be an alternative to animal proteins. To assess the protein quality of TM and AD, we assessed the digestible indispensable amino acid scores (DIAAS), considering individual amino acids and their ileal amino acid digestibility, using an in vitro model based on the INFOGEST digestion protocol. In addition, we evaluated if various processing and food preparation steps influenced the in vitro digestibility of individual amino acids and the in vitro DIAAS values of TM and AD and compared them to chicken breast as a reference of excellent protein quality. The total prot

SUBMITTER: Hammer L 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10350632 | biostudies-literature | 2023

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature