Potential of Antimicrobial Peptide-Overexpressed Tenebrio molitor Larvae Extract as a Natural Preservative for Korean Traditional Sauces

• Published in: Insects (Basel, Switzerland) Vol. 13; no. 4; p. 381
• Main Authors: Hwang, Dooseon, Lee, Seung Hun, Goo, Tae-Won, Yun, Eun-Young
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland MDPI AG 13.04.2022; MDPI
• Subjects: aflatoxin; Antibacterial activity; Antibiotics; Antimicrobial activity; Antimicrobial agents; antimicrobial peptide; Antimicrobial peptides; Bacteria; biofilm; Chymotrypsin; Coliforms; E coli; Escherichia coli; Food; Food contamination; Food contamination & poisoning; Food poisoning; food-poisoning bacteria; Fungi; Gene expression; High temperature; Immunization; insect extract; Insects; Larvae; Microorganisms; Minimum inhibitory concentration; Natural & organic foods; pH effects; Poisoning; Preservatives; Salinity; Salinity effects; Sauces; Shelf life; Soy sauce; Soybeans; Stability; Staphylococcus aureus; Tenebrio molitor; Trypsin; United States > US; Japan; Germany; food-poisoning bacteria; aflatoxin; insect extract; antimicrobial peptide; biofilm
• ISSN: 2075-4450; 2075-4450
• DOI: 10.3390/insects13040381

Here, we aimed to produce a natural food preservative using a crude extract from edible, immunized larvae (iTME), injected with edible bacteria using an edible solvent. Results showed that iTME had concentration-dependent inhibitory activity against food-poisoning bacteria , , and , as well as against harmful fungi , , and . Moreover, iTME showed antimicrobial activity against beneficial microorganisms and , but not . Furthermore, the minimum inhibitory concentration of iTME against , , and was 1 mg/mL, and iTME did not lose its inhibitory activity when treated at varying temperature, pH, and salinity. In addition, the antibacterial activity was lost after reacting the iTME with trypsin and chymotrypsin. The addition of iTME to Ganjang inoculated with harmful bacteria inhibited bacterial growth. Therefore, we propose that iTME can be used as a safe natural preservative to prolong food shelf life by inhibiting the growth of food-poisoning bacteria in a variety of foods, including traditional sauces.