Edible insects prevent changes to brain monoamine profiles from malnourishment in weaned rats.

Background: Childhood malnutrition can have devastating consequences on health, behavior, and cognition. Edible insects are sustainable low cost high protein and iron nutritious foods that can prevent malnutrition. However, it is unclear whether insect-based diets may help prevent changes to brain neurochemistry associated with malnutrition.Materials and Methods: Weanling male Sprague-Dawley rats were malnourished by feeding a low protein-iron diet (LPI, 5% protein and ∼2 ppm Fe) for 3 weeks or nourished by feeding a sufficient protein-iron diet (SPI, 15% protein 20 ppm FeSO4) for the duration of the study. Following 3 weeks of LPI diet, three subsets of the malnourished rats were placed on repletion diets supplemented with cricket, palm weevil larvae, or the SPI diet for 2 weeks, while the remaining rats continued the LPI diet for an additional 2 weeks. Monoamine-related neurochemicals (e.g. serotonin (5-HT), dopamine (DA), norepinephrine) and select monoamine metabolites were measured in the hypothalamus, hippocampus, striatum, and prefrontal cortex using Ultra High-Performance Liquid Chromatography.Results: Five weeks of LPI diets disrupted brain monoamines, most notable in the hypothalamus. Two weeks supplementation with cricket and palm weevil larvae diets prevented changes to measures of 5-HT and DA turnover in the hippocampus and hypothalamus. Moreover, these insect diets prevented the malnutrition-induced imbalance of 5-HT and DA metabolites in the hippocampus, striatum, and hypothalamus.Conclusion: Edible insects such as cricket and palm weevil larvae could be sustainable nutrition intervention to prevent behavioral and cognitive impairment associated abnormal brain monoamine activities that results from early life malnutrition.

Alternative Protein and Iron Sources from Edible Insects but Not Solanum torvum Improved Body Composition and Iron Status in Malnourished Rats.

Solanum torvum (STO) and edible insects are potential dietary approaches to prevent malnutrition. Hence, we determined the effect of STO and insect powders on improving nutritional status in malnourished rats. Malnutrition was induced in rats by feeding 5% protein, ~2 ppm Fe (LPI) diet for 21 days. During the 14 day repletion, five groups of rats (n = 8) were fed diets supplemented with Acheta domesticus (cricket, ADO), Rhynchophorus phoenicis fabricius (palm weevil larvae, RFA), STO, ADO + STO (TAD), and casein + ferrous sulfate (PIS, positive control), as well as a non-supplemented group (negative control, LPI). A normal (NOM) group was fed protein-Fe sufficient (PIS) diet throughout the study. Body composition was measured by Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. The hemoglobin (Hb) repletion method was used to assess relative biological value (RBV, compared to PIS) of the supplemented groups. No differences were found in weight gain, bone mineral content, lean and fat mass, and organ weights among the edible insects and PIS groups, but these results differed from STO and the LPI groups. An increase in Hb Fe and RBV with ADO and RFA was comparable to PIS. ADO and RFA could be excellent sources of protein and bioavailable Fe, making it a sustainable, low-cost food source to prevent malnutrition in humans.

Influence of Food Security Status and Anemia-Related Knowledge on Perceptions About 2 Nutritious Underutilized Foods Among Ghanaian Caregivers.

BACKGROUND: Nutritious underutilized foods (NUFs) significantly contribute to sustainable dietary diversity but are often unused for many reasons. OBJECTIVE: We assessed the influence of food security status (FSS) and anemia-related knowledge (ARK) on perceptions about Solanum torvum (turkey berry) and Rhynchophorus phoenicis Fabricius (palm weevil larvae) among Ghanaian caregivers. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 891 caregivers (aged 20-49 years), who have children 6 to 59 months old, from Upper Manya Krobo district (Eastern region), Kumasi metropolitan (Ashanti region), Ho municipality (Volta region), La-Nkwantanang-Madina, and Ga West municipality (Greater-Accra region), Ghana. Food security status, ARK, and perceptions about the 2 NUFs were obtained using pretested semi-structured questionnaire. Logistic regression models were used to determine effect of FSS and ARK on perception outcomes. RESULTS: Thirty-six percent of caregivers were food secure, while 13.9%, 28.4%, and 21.7%, respectively, were mildly, moderately, and severely food insecure. Most caregivers (62.0%) scored above 70% on ARK. High favorable perception was significantly lower for palm weevil larvae than that for turkey berry. Food secure caregivers were 4.5 times more likely to have poor favorable perceptions about palm weevil larvae than food insecure caregivers (P = .03). However, food secure caregivers were 2.9 times more likely to have high favorable perceptions about turkey berry than food insecure caregivers (P < .001). Caregivers' knowledge about anemia was associated with high favorable perception about turkey berry by 3.3-fold (95% confidence interval: 2-5.5, P = .001). CONCLUSIONS: Nutrition education about turkey berry and palm weevil larvae is needed to encourage their use for promoting nutrient density of complementary and household foods.

Assessment of Acute Serum Iron, Non-Transferrin-Bound Iron, and Gastrointestinal Symptoms with 3-Week Consumption of Iron-Enriched Aspergillus oryzae Compared with Ferrous Sulfate.

BACKGROUND: Iron deficiency anemia (IDA) is a widespread nutritional deficiency, and iron supplementation, especially with ferrous sulfate (FeSO4), is the most common strategy to treat IDA; however, compliance is often poor with daily FeSO4 owing to negative side effects. In a previous study, iron from iron-enriched Aspergillus oryzae [Ultimine® Koji Iron (ULT)] was absorbed similarly to FeSO4. OBJECTIVES: The main objective of this study was to assess the safety of consuming ULT in terms of increasing non-transferrin-bound iron (NTBI) and gastrointestinal distress. METHODS: Young female participants (n  = 16) with serum ferritin <40 µg/L were randomly assigned to a double-blind, 9-wk crossover study with a 3-wk placebo/washout period between treatments. Oral FeSO 4 and ULT supplements containing 65 mg Fe were administered daily for 21 consecutive days. On day 1, serum iron (SI), percentage transferrin saturation (%TS), and NTBI were measured for 8 h on the first day of iron consumption. Changes in biochemical indicators were evaluated after 3 wk consumption. Side effects questionnaires were completed weekly on 2 randomly selected weekdays and 1 weekend day for the entire study. RESULTS: SI, %TS, and NTBI were all markedly higher during hours 2-8 (P < 0.001) with FeSO4 than with ULT. Oxidative stress, inflammatory, and kidney and liver function markers remained unchanged with both supplementations compared with placebo. Changes in iron status markers were not significantly different among the 3 treatments. Individual or global side effects were not significantly different among all treatments. Even when common side effects of nausea, constipation, and diarrhea were combined, FeSO4 treatment had a significantly higher effect than ULT (P = 0.04) and placebo (P = 0.004) only at week 3, but the difference was not significant between ULT and placebo. CONCLUSIONS: Low NTBI production and fewer common gastrointestinal side effects with ULT suggest that it is a safe oral iron supplement to treat IDA. This trial was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT04018300.