Presence of pesticides in edible insects: Risk to human health. The case of Mexico

Objective: To perform a literature review of the presence of pesticides in edible insects, main pesticides used in Mexico and to discuss the potential risk of contaminated edible insects for human consumption. Design/methodology/approach: Concise analysis of the main research topics related with the impact of pesticides on insects, through a wide review of specialized journals on insects’ field. Results: The majority of edible insects are considered as a common plague in some crop varieties, causing a decrease in their production yield. As a result, farmers use mainly chemical insecticides to control this plague. Besides, farmers use also chemical herbicides and fungicides to control weeds and fungi. However, those pesticides have a negative impact on edible insects because they can be contaminated. These contaminated edible insects can be collected from different crop varieties for their use as food.   Limitations on study/implications: To conduct further research to identify and determine the pesticide levels in edible insects consumed in Mexico. Findings/conclusions: Edible insects may represent a potential risk to human health, especially when insects are wild harvested because can be contaminated with pesticides, particularly insecticides, herbicides, and fungicides

Effect of sugar substitution by aguamiel on the physicochemical quality of pear jam pear (Pyrus communis L.)

Objective: Analyze the effect of the sugar substitution by dehydrated aguamiel on the physicochemical quality of pear jam pear (Pyrus communis L.)   Design/methodology/approach: Different levels of sugar substitution by dehydrated aguamiel were analyzed (0, 25 and 50%). Physicochemical parameters on pear jam as color, pH, acidity, density, consistency and soluble solids were evaluated. Results:  Results showed that the physicochemical and color characteristics of the pear jam was changed by the substitution of sugar by dehydrated aguamiel   Study limitations/implications: More studies related to sensorial analysis of the pear jam and technological functions of dehydrated aguamiel are required. Findings/Conclusions: Pear in advanced stage of maturity could be considered as a good ingredient in jam formulation. Dehydrated aguamiel was used as an alternative a sweetener in ja

Encapsulation of bioactive compounds of food interest: applications, current advances, challenges, and opportunities.

Objective: The encapsulation of bioactive compounds of food interest provide protection against ambiental factors and degradation reactions. Therefore, the encapsulation of these compounds, was studied and analyzed considering the applications, current advances, challenges, and opportunities on the topic. Design/methodology/approach: Wall materials, bioactive compounds of food interest, encapsulation methods, applications, current advances, challenges, and opportunities in encapsulation of bioactive compounds were explored, described, and discussed considering the principal literature on the topic, and scientific databases were used for the bibliographic research. Results: Encapsulation process is a novel technology that allows the increasing the stability of aromas, flavors, pigments, and microorganisms, beside of improve the sensory, physical chemical and functional properties, quality, and the extend the shelf-life. Limitations on study/implications: Foods contain bioactive compounds that are susceptible to oxidation and degradation, which can reduce their quality and shelf life. To preserve these compounds, is important to develop other encapsulation systems considering alternative wall materials from different sources that can be applied under different process conditions from laboratory, pilot to industrial scale.  Findings/conclusions: Encapsulation process provide protection to bioactive compounds enhancing the sensory, physical chemical and functional properties, quality, and extend the shelf-life considering the integral and sustainable use of agricultural products

Multifunctional Analysis of Chia Seed (Salvia hispanica L.) Bioactive Peptides Using Peptidomics and Molecular Dynamics Simulations Approaches

Chia seed peptides (CSP) can be a source of multifunctional biopeptides to treat non-communicable diseases. However, interactions and binding affinity involved in targeting specific receptors remains unexplored. In this study, molecular simulation techniques were used as virtual screening of CSP to determine drug-like candidates using a multi-target-directed ligand approach. CSP fraction with the best bioactivities in vitro was sequenced. Then, a prediction model was built using physicochemical descriptors (hydrophobicity, hydrophilicity, intestinal stability, antiangiogenic, antihypertensive, and anti-inflammatory) to calculate potential scores and rank possible biopeptides. Furthermore, molecular dynamics simulations (MDS) and ensemble molecular docking analysis were carried out using four human protein targets (ACE, angiotensin converting enzyme; VEGF, vascular endothelial growth factor; GLUC, glucocorticoid and MINC, mineralocorticoid receptors). Five known-sequence peptides (NNVFYPF, FNIVFPG, SRPWPIDY, QLQRWFR, GSRFDWTR) and five de novo peptides (DFKF, DLRF, FKAF, FRSF, QFRF) had the lowest energy score and higher affinity for ACE and VEGF. The therapeutic effects of these selected peptides can be related to the inhibition of the enzymes involved in angiogenesis and hypertension, due to formation of stable complexes with VEGF and ACE binding sites, respectively. The application of MDS is a good resource for identifying bioactive peptides for future experimental validation

Beyond Human Nutrition of Edible Insects: Health Benefits and Safety Aspects

Nowadays, edible insects are considered an outstanding source of nutrients, primarily because they contain high-quality protein, amino acids, and vitamins. Insects are considered a promising alternative protein source towards alleviating future global food shortage problems due to their production considered as being more sustainable by using less agricultural land and water, as well as releasing a smaller amount of greenhouse gas emissions. However, other important aspects to consider about the consumption of edible insects include their health benefits and some safety aspects, which has been relatively overlooked. In this sense, edible insects contain bioactive compounds that can provide diverse bioactivities, such as antioxidant, antihypertensive, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and immunomodulatory with a positive impact on human health. On the other hand, edible insects are a nutrient-rich food that can provide a perfect growth medium for diverse microorganisms, as well as possess some anti-nutritive factors. These two main aspects could represent food safety concerns for consumers. In this context, recent scientific evidence indicates that preservation methods, mainly thermal treatments, utilized in the cooking or processing of edible insects decreased the microbial levels and anti-nutritive factors, which suggests that edible insects do not represent a critical biological risk to humans. Besides, edible insects could have a positive effect on gut microbiota, either by their pre-biotic effect or their antimicrobial activity towards pathogens. Thus, this review is focused on studies related to the health benefits of edible insects and their isolated components, as well as discussion about potential issues related to their microbial content and anti-nutritive factors; this review will provide a synopsis on whether edible insects may be considered safe for human consumption

Application of Polysaccharide-Based Edible Coatings on Fruits and Vegetables: Improvement of Food Quality and Bioactivities

Most foods derived from plant origin are very nutritious but highly perishable products. Nowadays, the food industry is focusing on the development of efficient preservation strategies as viable alternatives to traditional packaging and chemical treatments. Hence, polysaccharide-based edible coatings have been proposed because of their properties of controlled release of food additives and the protection of sensitive compounds in coated foods. Thus, this technology has allowed for improving the quality parameters and extends the shelf life of fruits and vegetables through positive effects on enzyme activities, physicochemical characteristics (e.g., color, pH, firmness, weight, soluble solids), microbial load, and nutritional and sensory properties of coated foods. Additionally, some bioactive compounds have been incorporated into polysaccharide-based edible coatings, showing remarkable antioxidant and antimicrobial properties. Thus, polysaccharide-based edible coatings incorporated with bioactive compounds can be used not only as an efficient preservation strategy but also may play a vital role in human health when consumed with the food. The main objective of this review is to provide a comprehensive overview of materials commonly used in the preparation of polysaccharide-based edible coatings, including the main bioactive compounds that can be incorporated into edible coatings, which have shown specific bioactivities