{"database":"biostudies-literature","file_versions":[],"scores":null,"additional":{"omics_type":["Unknown"],"volume":["7"],"submitter":["Boulos S"],"pubmed_abstract":["With an increasing worldwide demand for animal protein, insects are becoming a promising sustainable option for meat protein replacement. However, reported protein contents of insects are often overestimated when calculated as \"crude protein\" = 6.25 × nitrogen content (<i>N</i>), compared to true protein contents quantified from the sum of amino acid (AA) residues. In this study, the main two types of usual nitrogen-to-protein conversion factors <i>k</i> <sub><i>p</i></sub> and <i>k</i> <sub><i>A</i></sub> were determined on the basis of true protein/total nitrogen and true protein/protein nitrogen, respectively, with focus on the three insect species legally sold on the Swiss food market. <i>T. molitor</i> (mealworm larvae), <i>A. domesticus</i> (house crickets), and <i>L. migratoria</i> (locusts) from various breeders were analyzed for total and amide nitrogen, chitin, and AA composition. Careful control experiments of insect samples spiked with a protein standard were conducted to establish the recovery of true protein, which was with >95% excellent. Mealworms, crickets, and locusts exhibited similar AA-profiles and true protein contents of 51, 55, and 47 g/100 g (dry weight basis), respectively. Specific conversion factors <i>k</i> <sub><i>p</i></sub> showed little variability between the three insect species with 5.41, 5.25, and 5.33 for mealworms, crickets, and locusts, respectively, and confirmed an average ~17% overestimation of protein contents when using 6.25 × <i>N</i>. The determined average <i>k</i> <sub><i>p</i></sub> of 5.33 is supported by extracted literature data and is suggested for general use instead of 6.25 × <i>N</i> to calculate more accurate insect protein contents, whereas the average pure protein conversion factor <i>k</i> <sub><i>A</i></sub> of 5.6 is proposed for use in the case of insect protein isolates."],"journal":["Frontiers in nutrition"],"pagination":["89"],"full_dataset_link":["https://www.ebi.ac.uk/biostudies/studies/S-EPMC7366252"],"repository":["biostudies-literature"],"pubmed_title":["Nitrogen-to-Protein Conversion Factors for Edible Insects on the Swiss Market: <i>T. molitor, A. domesticus</i>, and <i>L. migratoria</i>."],"pmcid":["PMC7366252"],"pubmed_authors":["Nystrom L","Boulos S","Tannler A"],"additional_accession":[]},"is_claimable":false,"name":"Nitrogen-to-Protein Conversion Factors for Edible Insects on the Swiss Market: <i>T. molitor, A. domesticus</i>, and <i>L. migratoria</i>.","description":"With an increasing worldwide demand for animal protein, insects are becoming a promising sustainable option for meat protein replacement. However, reported protein contents of insects are often overestimated when calculated as \"crude protein\" = 6.25 × nitrogen content (<i>N</i>), compared to true protein contents quantified from the sum of amino acid (AA) residues. In this study, the main two types of usual nitrogen-to-protein conversion factors <i>k</i> <sub><i>p</i></sub> and <i>k</i> <sub><i>A</i></sub> were determined on the basis of true protein/total nitrogen and true protein/protein nitrogen, respectively, with focus on the three insect species legally sold on the Swiss food market. <i>T. molitor</i> (mealworm larvae), <i>A. domesticus</i> (house crickets), and <i>L. migratoria</i> (locusts) from various breeders were analyzed for total and amide nitrogen, chitin, and AA composition. Careful control experiments of insect samples spiked with a protein standard were conducted to establish the recovery of true protein, which was with >95% excellent. Mealworms, crickets, and locusts exhibited similar AA-profiles and true protein contents of 51, 55, and 47 g/100 g (dry weight basis), respectively. Specific conversion factors <i>k</i> <sub><i>p</i></sub> showed little variability between the three insect species with 5.41, 5.25, and 5.33 for mealworms, crickets, and locusts, respectively, and confirmed an average ~17% overestimation of protein contents when using 6.25 × <i>N</i>. The determined average <i>k</i> <sub><i>p</i></sub> of 5.33 is supported by extracted literature data and is suggested for general use instead of 6.25 × <i>N</i> to calculate more accurate insect protein contents, whereas the average pure protein conversion factor <i>k</i> <sub><i>A</i></sub> of 5.6 is proposed for use in the case of insect protein isolates.","dates":{"release":"2020-01-01T00:00:00Z","publication":"2020","modification":"2025-04-27T02:53:49.287Z","creation":"2020-11-20T09:00:14Z"},"accession":"S-EPMC7366252","cross_references":{"pubmed":["32754611"],"doi":["10.3389/fnut.2020.00089"]}}