Edible Insects: A New Sustainable Nutritional Resource Worth Promoting.

Edible insects are a highly nutritious source of protein and are enjoyed by people all over the world. Insects contain various other nutrients and beneficial compounds, such as lipids, vitamins and minerals, chitin, phenolic compounds, and antimicrobial peptides, which contribute to good health. The practice of insect farming is far more resource-efficient compared to traditional agriculture and animal husbandry, requiring less land, energy, and water, and resulting in a significantly lower carbon footprint. In fact, insects are 12 to 25 times more efficient than animals in converting low-protein feed into protein. When it comes to protein production per unit area, insect farming only requires about one-eighth of the land needed for beef production. Moreover, insect farming generates minimal waste, as insects can consume food and biomass that would otherwise go to waste, contributing to a circular economy that promotes resource recycling and reuse. Insects can be fed with agricultural waste, such as unused plant stems and food scraps. Additionally, the excrement produced by insects can be used as fertilizer for crops, completing the circular chain. Despite the undeniable sustainability and nutritional benefits of consuming insects, widespread acceptance of incorporating insects into our daily diets still has a long way to go. This paper provides a comprehensive overview of the nutritional value of edible insects, the development of farming and processing technologies, and the problems faced in the marketing of edible insect products and insect foods to improve the reference for how people choose edible insects.

Genomic and phenotypic-based safety assessment and probiotic properties of Streptococcus thermophilus FUA329, a urolithin A-producing bacterium of human milk origin.

Streptococcus thermophilus FUA329, a urolithin A-producing bacterium, is isolated from human breast milk. The complete genome sequence of FUA329 did not contain any plasmids and at least 20 proteins were related to extreme environment resistance. Phenotypic assay results demonstrated that FUA329 was susceptible to 12 kinds of antibiotics and did not exhibit any hemolytic or nitrate reductase activity. Three free radical scavenging assays revealed that FUA329 have high antioxidant capability. FUA329 exhibited a cell surface hydrophobicity of 52.58 ± 1.17% and an auto-aggregation rate of 18.69 ± 2.48%. Moreover, FUA329 demonstrated a survival rate of over 60% in strong acid and bile salt environments, indicating that FUA329 may be stable colonization in the gastrointestinal tract. Additionally, we firstly found 3 potential proteins and 11 potential genes of transforming ellagic acid to urolithins in FUA329 genome. The above results indicate that FUA329 has credible safety and probiotic properties, as well as the potential to be developed as a new generation of urolithin A-producing probiotics.