What is Chitosan?
Chitosan is the product of N-deacetylation of chitin, chitin (chitin), chitosan and cellulose have similar chemical structure, cellulose is hydroxyl at C2 position, chitin and chitosan are replaced by an acetylamino group and amino group respectively at C2 position, chitin and chitosan have many unique properties, such as biodegradability, cellular affinity, and bioeffects, etc. Especially, it is the only alkaline polysaccharide among natural polysaccharides that contains free amino group. Chitosan, which contains free amino group, is the only alkaline polysaccharide among natural polysaccharides. [1]
The amino groups in the molecular structure of chitosan are more reactive than the acetylamino groups in chitin, giving the polysaccharide excellent biological functionality and the ability to undergo chemical modifications. Therefore, chitosan is considered a functional biomaterial with greater application potential than cellulose. [1]
Chitosan is the product of removing part of the acetyl group of the natural polysaccharide chitin, which has many physiological functions such as biodegradability, biocompatibility, non-toxicity, bacteriostasis, anticancer, lipid-lowering, and immune-enhancing, etc. It has been widely used in the fields of food additives, textiles, agriculture, environmental protection, beauty and health care, cosmetics, antimicrobials, medical fibres, medical dressings, artificial tissue materials, drug slow-release materials, gene transduction vectors, biological medical fields, medical resorbable materials, medical materials, and artificial tissues. It is widely used in the fields of food additives, agriculture, environmental protection, beauty care, cosmetics, antimicrobial agents, medical fibres, medical dressings, artificial tissue materials, drug slow-release materials, gene transduction carriers, biomedical applications, medical absorbable materials, tissue engineering carrier materials, medical treatment, drug development and other daily-use chemical industries.
A large amount of chitin exists in the shells of marine arthropods such as shrimps and crabs, the shells of insects, the cell membranes of fungi and algae, the shells and bones of molluscs and the cell walls of higher plants. Chitin is widely distributed in nature, reserves only after cellulose, is the second largest natural macromolecules, the amount of chitin biosynthesis of about 10 billion tons per year, is a recyclable renewable resources, inexhaustible, inexhaustible, these natural polymers of the main distribution of the coastal areas of India, Poland, Japan, the United States, Norway and Australia and other countries, chitosan has been commercially produced. [1]
Chitin (chitin) was first discovered in mushrooms in 1811 by Professor H. Bracolmot, a French researcher in the history of natural sciences, and named Fungine. 1823, another French scientist, Ogier, isolated the same substance from the wing-sheaths of crustacean insects and named it chitin; in 1859, French scientist C. Rouget immersed chitin in a concentrated KOH solution, boiled it for some time, removed it and washed it and found that it was soluble in organic acids; in 1894, Ledderhose, a German, confirmed that the modified chitin prepared by Rouget was chitin with some of the acetyl groups removed, and named it chitosan, or chitosan; in 1939, Haworth obtained an undisputed controversial synthetic method to determine the structure of chitin; in 1936, Rigby, an American, was granted a series of granted patents relating to chitin/chitosan, describing methods of isolating chitin from shrimp and crab shells, methods of preparing chitin and chitosan derivatives, and methods of preparing chitosan solutions, chitosan membranes, and chitosan fibres; in 1963, Budall proposed that chitin existed in three crystalline forms; in the 1970s, research on chitin increased; in the 1980s and 1990s, research on chitin/chitosan entered its heyday.
Concept of Chitin.
Chitin, also known as chitin, chitosan, crab shell, its main component is chitosan. At present, the trade names of chitin-like health care products in domestic market are: Sixth Element, Chitin, Chitosan, King of Chitin, Save Dosan, Jidosan, Jidosan, Chitosan, Rescue Dosan, Crab Custard, Haishengyuan, Chitosan ......, which are collectively known as chitin in principle, and are suitable for people with low immunity.
Chitin mainly comes from animals, such as crabs, shrimp shells, molluscs squid, squid cartilage and epidermis, arthropods shells and mushrooms, fungus and fungi in the cell wall is also widely available. Chitin is the third largest material resource for human beings in addition to starch and cellulose. Chitin also ranks second only to protein in the amount of nitrogen-containing organic matter in nature.
Chitosan is a special treatment that starts from the deep part of the organism's activity, i.e. from the cellular level. Chitin activates the immune function of the human body, gives full play to the natural healing power of the human body, through the activation of cells, promote metabolism; activation of lymphocytes, enhance immunity and other ‘endogenous’ means to improve the entire human body to prevent and treat disease natural healing power to deal with various diseases.
In 1991 in the chitin international academic conference, the World Health Organization WHO authority certified that, in addition to protein, vitamins, minerals, fat, sugar, five elements of life outside the sixth element - chitin, is the twenty-first century human indispensable and irreplaceable source of life.
In 1991, chitosan was hailed by European and American academic circles as the sixth element of life after protein, fat, sugar, vitamins and inorganic salts.
"Chitosan" (chitin) is an animal polymer cellulose extracted from crab and shrimp shells through genetic engineering. It is the only one discovered in the world. It also has: cationic properties, alkaline, polysaccharide Natural substances from human body and animal fibers. In 1991, it was praised by the global medical community as "the sixth life element of the human body". Therefore, it has been recognized as a functional health food by the European, American, Chinese and Japanese governments. Plants such as Ganoderma lucidum and Cordyceps sinensis also contain trace amounts of "chitosan", but the content is only between 2% and 7%. "Chitosan" (chitin) is the only positively charged positive animal fiber known to humans.
The substance "chitosan" is an animal cellulose derivative. Take a look at the structure of plant cellulose. The structure of D-glucose has changed on the second carbon chain (draw a structural diagram of D-type six-carbon sugar). Usually, plant cellulose has a hydroxyl group hanging on the second carbon element. Then chitin animal cellulose is linked to acetyl glucosamine. This kind of animal cellulose was discovered by the Frenchman Ogier in the early 19th century. It is quite stable, insoluble in water, soluble in strong acids, and soluble in alkali, and has great effects on humans.
In 1991, chitosan was praised by the European and American academic community as the sixth life element after protein, fat, sugar, vitamins and inorganic salts. It is completely different from general nutritional supplements and has five major functions for the human body: immune enhancement, inhibiting aging, preventing diseases, promoting disease recovery and regulating the physiological functions of the human body. The physiological effects on the human body are mainly achieved through the action of chitosan. According to literature reports, the disease prevention and health care effects are briefly described as follows:
Strengthening immune function and inhibiting cancer
Chitosan has the functions of regulating and improving the body's immunity, promoting antibody production and enhancing the body's disease resistance. The degradation product of chitin, glucosamine, changes the pH value of body fluids, activates lymphocytes and inhibits the metastasis of cancer cells [3].
Professor Shigehiro Hirano of Tottori University in Japan transplanted cancer cells into rats to cause skin cancer. The rats were divided into two groups. One group of rats was given "chitosan" and the cancer cells disappeared. The other group of rats that were not given "chitosan" all died. In the rabbit experiment, the cancer cells were also restored to normal cells after being given "chitosan". As an auxiliary treatment in the clinic, "chitosan" has a good effect on early cancer. For mid- and late-stage cancer, combined with specialized treatment, it can improve the efficacy, reduce pain, and prolong life. Its anti-cancer mechanism is:
1. Inhibit cancer cell toxins
When you have cancer, you will lose weight rapidly, become emaciated, anemic, and have a loss of appetite. This is because cancer cells release cancer toxins, which reduce the iron in the serum and cause anemia; they act on the satiety center to lose appetite, accelerate fat decomposition and protein decomposition in the body, and cause weight loss, or even cachexia. Cancer patients develop appetite after taking chitosan because it has an inhibitory effect on cancer cell toxins.
2. Activate lymphocytes that can kill cancer cells
There are a large number of lymphocytes in the body (such as NK cells and LAK cells), which can decompose normal cells and cancer cells. This is the immune function of the human body. The role of lymphocytes in killing cancer cells is most active at around pH 7.4. The metabolic characteristics of cancer cells are mainly anaerobic glycolysis of sugars, and lactic acid is generated during metabolism. Therefore, lymphocytes that have the ability to kill tumors are inhibited in the acidic environment around cancer cells. Chitosan shifts the pH of body fluids to the alkaline side of 0.5, creating an environment for lymphocytes to attack cancer cells.
3. Inhibit cancer cell metastasis
Cancer cells generally metastasize through blood vessels. There is a bonding factor on the surface of vascular endothelial cells. Cancer cells can enter blood vessels only after they attach and bind to the bonding factor, then move by binding to the bonding factor in the blood, and then bind to bonding factors in other parts and adhere to form cancer thrombi to become metastatic foci. Chitosan has a strong adsorption effect on the bonding factor. Cancer cells cannot metastasize if they cannot find a substance to bind to.
Lower cholesterol
Cholesterol is an indispensable substance in the body. In addition to being a component of cell membranes, it can be converted into bile acids, steroid hormones and vitamin D in the body. Normal cholesterol metabolism is beneficial to the body. However, excessive cholesterol accumulates on the blood vessel wall, narrows the blood vessel cavity, and obstructs blood flow. Myocardial ischemia and hypoxia cause angina pectoris. High cholesterol blood viscosity is prone to thrombosis, partial myocardial necrosis, and myocardial infarction. Cerebral thrombosis can cause cerebral infarction.
Chitosan can lower cholesterol and its mechanism is:
1. Hindering the absorption of cholesterol in the body
After cholesterol in food enters the body, it needs to be transformed into cholesterol ester by enzymes before it can be absorbed in the intestines. This process requires the participation of bile acid. Bile acid is a surfactant that has an emulsifying effect on lipids. Chitosan easily combines with bile acid and is completely excreted from the body. Since the bile acid around cholesterol disappears, this enzyme cannot convert cholesterol into cholesterol ester that is easily absorbed by the intestine.
2. Hindering the absorption of fat
Because chitosan is a positively charged cationic compound, it gathers around negatively charged fat droplets in the body, forming a barrier that hinders absorption. At the same time, it can also combine with bile acid to affect lipid emulsification and reduce its absorption.
3. Promoting cholesterol conversion
Cholesterol is converted into bile acid in the liver. Bile acid is an important component of digestive juice and has a certain amount of reserves in the gallbladder. Bile acid is usually reabsorbed by the small intestine and returned to the liver after completing the digestion and absorption of fat. This is the "enterohepatic circulation" of bile acid. Because chitosan easily combines with bile acid and is completely excreted from the body. Then, in order to maintain the normal content of bile acid, cholesterol must be converted into bile acid in the liver, and as a result, the cholesterol content in the blood will inevitably decrease.
Hypotensive effect
The principle of treatment for primary hypertension is to limit salt intake, and about 60% of patients can lower their blood pressure. Experiments have shown that increased blood pressure is only related to chloride ions in salt, but not sodium ions. Chloride ions in salt can activate angiotensin converting enzyme, which catalyzes angiotensin I (decapeptide) to angiotensin II (octapeptide). Angiotensin II promotes aldosterone secretion to retain sodium and water in the body, increase blood volume and increase blood pressure. Chitosan is positively charged and attracts chloride ions, and is excreted in the feces. The body lacks chloride ions, the converting enzyme is inactive, angiotensin II is reduced, and blood pressure no longer rises.
Hypoglycemic effect
Due to insulin deficiency (absolute or relative), diabetes is caused by acidic body fluids (sugar metabolism disorder, lipid metabolism disorder, incomplete fat oxidation, ketone body). If the pH drops by 0.1, insulin sensitivity drops by 30%, the patient's sugar utilization decreases, and hyperglycemia occurs. Chitosan adjusts the pH to a weak alkaline state, improves insulin utilization, and is beneficial to the prevention and treatment of diabetes. In addition, it also has the function of regulating the endocrine system, normalizing insulin secretion, and inhibiting blood sugar rise. Most adult diabetes is related to obesity, which reduces receptor sensitivity or the number of receptors. Chitosan can eliminate excess sugar, prevent obesity, and is beneficial to the prevention and treatment of diabetes.
Strengthening liver function
The liver is the largest gland in the human body and has a variety of metabolic functions. It plays an important role in the metabolism of proteins, sugars, lipids, vitamins, hormones and other substances. At the same time, the liver also has functions such as secretion, excretion, and biotransformation. The functions of chitosan in strengthening liver function are listed as follows:
1. Lower cholesterol and fat, prevent fatty liver and hepatitis
According to the research of Professor Hirano of Tottori University in Japan, feeding rabbits with high cholesterol feed will cause fatty liver and hepatitis soon after due to the increase in the concentration of cholesterol and neutral fat in the blood, and the liver will be red. However, the liver of rabbits fed with chitosan at the same time will be normal dark brown.
2. Promote the production of hepatitis virus antibodies
There is no specific medicine for the treatment of viral hepatitis. The efficacy of high-dose interferon in the treatment of hepatitis B or hepatitis C is up to 50%. If chitosan is used in combination with interferon, the efficacy can be improved, the production of hepatitis virus antibodies can be promoted, and the hepatitis B virus can be turned negative.
3. Enhance the biotransformation function of the liver
Ethanol is converted into acetaldehyde under the action of liver alcohol dehydrogenase. Acetaldehyde is highly toxic and can cause headaches, nausea, liver damage, etc. Under normal circumstances, acetaldehyde is oxidized into acetic acid under the action of aldehyde dehydrogenase, and acetic acid is further oxidized into CO: and H. 0, eliminating toxicity. Chitosan can activate liver function, enhance the activity of aldehyde dehydrogenase, sober up and prevent alcoholic liver damage.
Advantages of mealworm protein powder as animal feed.
As an animal feed, yellow mealworm has the characteristics of comprehensive nutrition, good palatability and easy feeding. Tests have shown that using yellow mealworms as fresh bait for carnivorous animals not only promotes the growth, development and reproduction of animals, enhances the ability to resist diseases and adverse environments, but also has the advantages of low feed costs and high output benefits. Using yellow mealworms as protein feed additives for livestock and poultry farming can not only improve the palatability of feed, which is conducive to digestion and absorption, but also increase feed remuneration and improve the flavour of livestock and poultry products.
1.As fresh bait can be directly fed carnivorous, insectivorous and omnivorous special economic animals are mainly scorpions, amusement clams, ants, clam ants, lucid scorpions, toads, crabs, shrimp, frogs, toad credit, tortoises, turtles, goldfish, tropical fish, zebrafish, seven-starred fish, bearded squid, tilapia, loach, eel, eel, juvenile snakes, large whales, flying grouse, bamboo chickens, black phoenix chickens, pearl chickens, peacocks, sparrows, childish, Various kinds of ornamental birds and so on dozens of species. The following is an example of several kinds of special economic animals that need a large amount of insects, a brief introduction to the feeding of yellow mealworm bait methods and precautions.
(1) Feeding scorpions: Yellow mealworm is a high-quality bait for feeding scorpions, not only can it live with scorpions for more than 10 days to meet the scorpion's predation at any time, but also the moulting hormone contained in yellow mealworm is also beneficial to scorpion moulting. Generally feed directly in the scorpion breeding box or breeding pool can, but pay attention to choose fresh live insects, because the movement of the yellow mealworm is more likely to be found and captured by the scorpion, and can avoid the death of the yellow mealworm contamination of the scorpion nest; but also pay attention to the scorpion according to the developmental stage of the choice of different sizes of the yellow mealworm larvae in order to young scorpions to feed on; in the scorpion feeding peak feeding amount should be preferred more than the shortage of scorpions to avoid the scorpion lack of food and kill each other.
(2) Feeding frogs: Yellow mealworm is one of the ideal opening baits for young frogs that have just begun to metamorphose, and it is also a high-quality bait for rearing young frogs and breeding frogs. However, since yellow mealworms die easily when they see water, it is best to set up a special bait table or put yellow mealworms on land. The bait table is usually made into a disc or shallow slot, with smooth walls to prevent yellow mealworms from crawling out, and the mouth of the disc or slot should not be too big to prevent frogs from jumping and catching.
(3) Feeding turtles: Because turtles feed in the water, we should consider the survival time of yellow mealworms in the water. After throwing the live yellow mealworms into the water, they usually suffocate and die within 10 minutes, and the water temperature is above 20℃ for 2 hours and then start to rot, and the body of the insects will become black and soft, and gradually become smelly. Therefore, to feed yellow mealworms to turtles, first of all, we should control the amount of turtle's food, and in the growing season, the amount of fresh worms to be fed is about 10% of the turtle's body weight. Each feeding amount should be eaten within 2 hours. In summer, when the water temperature is above 25℃, the turtles eat more, and can be fed 2-3 times a day. In spring and autumn, when the water temperature is 16?20℃, the turtle's food intake is small, and it can be fed 1 time per day. If artificial heating culture is carried out, the feeding frequency should be increased when the water temperature is around 25℃, and it is better to eat less and more often to ensure the freshness of the worms. When feeding, the yellow mealworm larvae should be placed on the bait table in the water, and when feeding for the 2nd time, it is necessary to observe whether the amount of worms put in the previous 1 time has been eaten up, and remove the residual bait and adjust the amount of the next feeding in time.
(4) Feeding fish: when feeding ornamental fish, rare fish and squid and other carnivorous fish with yellow mealworms, due to their feeding mode of swallowing, the feeding of yellow mealworms should be good for small individuals, and the amount of feeding should not be too much each time, but also should be eaten more than once, to prevent the death of insects and corruption of the short-term food is not finished. Tests have shown that the yellow mealworm larvae are made into minced worms after being crushed, which has a significant food-attracting effect on tilapia, and the best effect is to add 2% of yellow mealworms in tilapia feed.
(5) Feeding birds: when feeding live yellow mealworms to paintbrush birds, larks, etc., it is generally best to feed 8-16 heads/only per day, and it should be fed with other feeds to avoid indigestion caused by simply taking yellow mealworms. When feeding, you can feed the larvae by hand, or you can put the larvae into small containers for the birds to feed freely, but the inner wall of the container should be smooth to prevent the yellow mealworms from crawling out and escaping, and there should not be water and other debris in the container.
(6) Feeding snakes: snakes like to devour animals, often feeding on frogs, mice and other small animals, can also be used as bait for snakes with yellow mealworms, and older yellow mealworms are especially suitable for feeding young snakes. When feeding adult snakes with yellow mealworms, it can be combined with other feeds to form full-price feeds, processed into food pellets suitable for snakes to swallow, and the number of feeding times is determined according to the number of snakes, their size and the different seasons, and is generally fed 3-5 times a month.
2.As a protein feed with the development of local special economic animal farming and livestock and poultry farming, protein feed, especially animal protein feed shortage is increasingly prominent, resulting in fish meal, meat and bone meal and other animal protein feed prices continue to rise. Yellow mealworm has the characteristics of high protein content and reasonable amino acid composition, theoretically it can replace fish meal, meat and bone meal, etc. added to livestock and poultry feed. However, due to the very limited scale of yellow mealworm farming, it is still difficult to provide sufficient raw material supply for the feed industry, although the small-scale test proved that it can replace fish meal as poultry protein feed, but how to formulate a variety of feed formulas with yellow mealworm as the proteins need to be explored in depth. The following is a brief introduction to some small-scale application tests.
(1) Feeding broiler chickens: at present, more applications are fed to the soil chicken with higher economic value. For example, if 2% of adult yellow mealworms are added to the basic diet of three yellow chickens every day instead of the equivalent amount of fishmeal, the protein metabolism rate is 13.17% higher than that of feeding fishmeal, and the daily weight gain is 1.89% higher than that of feeding fishmeal.
1.89 %. Adding 5 % of yellow mealworm larvae to the basal diet of hens instead of the equivalent amount of domestic fish meal also increased the daily weight gain of hens, and had no effect on the quality indexes of chicken meat, such as slaughtering rate, semi-clearance rate, full-clearance rate, breast muscle rate, leg muscle rate, and so on. The addition of 7 % yellow mealworm larvae meal to the AA broiler chicks' basal diet improved the flavour of chicken meat, increased the water retention capacity of chicken meat, and prolonged the shelf-life of chicken meat, while it had little effect on the tenderness of chicken meat. Soil miscellaneous chicken free-range farms in the broiler full-price with feed every day plus feeding 10% of the fresh larvae of the yellow mealworm, not only can enhance the chicken's resistance to disease, reduce the use of medication to prevent epidemics, but also the production of the worm chicken meat tender, fragrant and tasty, nutrient-rich.
(2)Feeding egg-laying chickens: designing feed formula with yellow mealworm larvae powder as protein raw material, feeding egg-laying chickens with conventional ordinary egg-laying chicken feed as control, it can increase the egg-laying rate by 5.06%, increase the weight of egg by 12.40%, and reduce the feed to egg ratio by 6.90%. The free-range farms can feed 10-12% live larvae of yellow mealworms in the full-price feed for laying hens every day, which can produce delicious, nutritious and unique eggs with worms.
(3) feeding crane quail: in the white quail basic diets add 3 % of yellow mealworm larvae powder instead of fishmeal, can reduce the mortality rate of crane quail, accelerate the growth rate, increase the weight of the individual, improve the feed compensation, the output of the crane quail meat muscle fibre diameter and shear force to become larger, the muscle of the water retention to improve the muscle to extend the shelf life of the muscle, and the tenderness of the muscle has little effect. Adding 10 % powdered larvae of Coturnix japonica to the feed of 120-day-old laying coturnix quail for a few days increased the egg-laying rate by 4.1 %, and the egg weight by 7.0 %, while the feed-egg ratio decreased by 11.3 %.
(4) Feeding goslings: in the meat Jilin white goose goslings feed formula to add 22% of the yellow meal powder, instead of an equal amount of fishmeal + soybean meal, not only can improve the goslings' ability to resist disease, the survival rate of the goslings will increase by 5.4%, but also to make the goslings gain weight quickly, high feed remuneration.
What are the benefits of insects as feed ingredients?
1. Antimicrobial peptides Antimicrobial peptides are polypeptides with antibacterial abilities in insects. They have the ability to kill bacteria and enhance the body's immunity. What’s interesting is that antimicrobial peptides only have an effect on microorganisms and not on animal and plant cells. Moreover, because of the special structure of antimicrobial peptides, it is difficult for bacteria to develop resistance through mutation. Therefore, antimicrobial peptides have gradually replaced antibiotics as feed additives . Some researchers used Escherichia coli and inactivated Escherichia coli to induce the production of antimicrobial peptides in mealworms and found that the bacterial content in their bodies was lower than the national standards .
2. Chitin Chitin, also known as chitin and chitin, is an element that is insoluble in water, alkali and other organic solvents. It is widely found in nature in the shells of lower plants, fungi, shrimps, crabs, insects and other crustaceans, and the cell walls of eubacteria. It has the functions of strengthening the immune system, accelerating wound repair, preventing diseases, maintaining the digestive system, and removing heavy metals from the body. Important features. In medicine, it is a single highly effective wound healing agent .
3. Interferon Interferon is a type of highly active multifunctional glycoprotein produced by biological cells induced by interferon inducers . It has anti-viral, anti-tumor, inhibiting cell proliferation, inhibiting virus replication, and improving canine immunity. functions etc. A special type of protein mostly produced by termitidae and hymenoptera insects. The mealworm in the title has this element. Adding such insect powder to animal feed can help enhance disease resistance and promote healthy and rapid growth of livestock and poultry .
4. Environmental protection. Insect feed is considered to be the animal protein resource with the smallest environmental impact, such as small carbon emissions, less land use, and high utilization rate. The mealworm in the title feeds on household waste such as straw, bran, and dregs, and is considered by many to be a very good bioconverter. In addition, Tenebrio molitor larvae can eat polystyrene foam, which may help us solve the problem of petroleum-based plastic waste pollution .
Feasibility analysis of insect proteins.
With the rapid growth of the global population and the increasing demand for healthy food, finding alternatives to traditional protein sources has become a popular area of research. Insect proteins have attracted much attention as a sustainable protein source. In this paper, the feasibility of insect protein will be analysed in terms of its production, nutritional value and environmental impact.
Production of insect protein
The production of insect protein is relatively easy and sustainable. Firstly, insects are highly reproductive and can reproduce in large numbers in a short period of time. Secondly, the rearing cost of insects is relatively low and cheap resources such as waste can be utilised as rearing substrates to reduce production costs. Finally, the production of insect protein does not depend on large areas of land and large amounts of water resources, so it can solve the pressure of traditional animal husbandry on land and water resources.
Nutritional value of insect protein
Insect protein is rich in nutrients, especially high-quality protein. The types and proportions of amino acids contained in insect protein are very close to the needs of the human body and are easily absorbed and utilised by the human body. In addition, insect protein is rich in essential fatty acids, vitamins and minerals, which help maintain the normal metabolic function of the human body. Compared with traditional livestock products, insect protein is more healthy and nutritionally balanced.
Environmental impact of insect protein
Compared with traditional animal husbandry, the production of insect protein has less impact on the environment. Firstly, the space for rearing insects is relatively small and does not require a large area of land, which can reduce the occupation and destruction of land. Secondly, the waste produced during the rearing of insects can be utilised in the production of bio-fertiliser, reducing environmental pollution. In addition, insects have a short life cycle and strong reproductive capacity, which can rapidly recycle breeding waste and produce organic fertiliser, further reducing environmental pollution.
Food Safety of Insect Proteins
Food safety of insect protein is a topic that needs attention. In the production and processing of insect protein, factors such as pests and diseases need to be strictly controlled to ensure product quality and food safety. In addition, the development of relevant food safety standards and testing methods is also an important measure to ensure the safety of insect protein. Therefore, to promote insect protein as a protein substitute, a sound food safety management system needs to be established.
Market Prospects of Insect Protein
As an emerging food ingredient, insect protein has great market potential. With the increasing demand for healthy food and sustainable development, insect protein products will become an important part of the food industry in the future. Currently, insect protein products have gained a certain market share in the European and American markets, while the Asian market is yet to be further developed. As a new type of protein with high nutritional value, insect protein products are expected to become a new favourite in the future food market.
Conclusion
In summary, insect proteins are expected to be a sustainable alternative to traditional protein sources due to their advantages of easy production, nutritional richness and environmental friendliness. Although insect proteins still have challenges in food safety, this problem can be effectively solved by establishing a scientific food safety management system. With the increasing market demand and further maturation of technology, the market prospect of insect protein is very broad. Therefore, insect protein has high feasibility and development potential as an emerging protein source.
Why more and more people are looking at insect proteins?
There are about one million species of insects in the world, and more than 3,650 species are edible. According to experts' prediction, by the 21st century, insects will become the third largest source of protein after microorganisms and cellular organisms, because of their variety, large number, wide distribution, fast reproduction, high protein, low fat, low cholesterol, reasonable nutritional structure, less meat fibre, and easy to absorb, the advantages are outstanding and superior to plant proteins, which is a concern for the countries around the world.
Relevant experts have proved after a large number of experiments: the magical substances contained in the insects themselves are incomparable to any plants and animals themselves. Insect protein will be the best additive to change the human body. Princeton University in New Jersey, the United States, was established at the end of the last century to explore a special insect substances of the scientific research team, they found that insect protein has a magical health effects:
Antibacterial peptides
Insect active protein contains unique antibacterial peptide components, when the body is damaged or pathogenic microbial invasion, antibacterial peptide fast tracking, chasing and killing invaders, antibacterial peptide like immune police, with a sharp knife to meet "the enemy" in the bacteria, viruses, chiseled ion channels on the structure of the cell membrane, so that the bacterial cell membrane structure is destroyed, causing the cell water-soluble substances outflow, thus completely killing the bacteria. The water-soluble substances in the cell are caused to flow out of the cell, thus killing the bacteria completely. Humans often eat insect protein, like a barrier to the body, difficult to immersed in a hundred diseases!
Immune scavenger
Insect active protein is rich in chitin. And the purity of insect chitin is many times more pure than shrimp and crab chitin, chitin is one of the important pillars of the vitality of all living creatures, known as protein, sugar, fat, vitamins, minerals, after the "sixth nutritional elements of life". It is like a hard-working gardener, in the human immune system plays a three-regulation (two-way immune regulation, regulation of pH value, regulation of hormones), three rows (row of harmful substances in cells and body fluids, row of heavy metal ions, row of oxygen toxins), and constantly maintains the internal environment of the human body.
Nutritional richness
Insect active protein is rich in 8 essential amino acids, 17 other amino acids, peptides, unsaturated fatty acids, vitamins, minerals and other nutrients to strengthen nutrition, activate cells, very suitable for human absorption, is a natural high-level nutritional enhancer.
Immune Repair
According to CCTV report, the founder of AIDS "cocktail therapy " - the famous Chinese-American scientist Dr. He Dayi 's latest research found that: the unique defence of insect proteins is a kind of small molecule proteins, which has an important role in helping people with AIDS rebuild the immune system. The name of AIDS is "Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome". The scientific name of AIDS is " Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome ", and this research result confirms the unique restorative effect of defensins on the human immune system.
Immune Activation
In addition to antimicrobial peptide and defensin, insect active protein also contains exogenous lectin, which can promote mutual adhesion of cells and inhibit their proliferation, which not only makes normal cells more active, but also kills mutated cells, resists the spread of viruses, activates immunity, and effectively prevents and treats gastrointestinal tract inflammation and various infectious diseases.
Effects of chitin on living organisms.
Chitin is present in crab shells and other crustaceans shell edible animal cellulose, with lower cholesterol, enhance immunity, adsorption of harmful substances in the body and excluded from the body, stomach and intestines of the efficacy and role of the body of each person is different, need to use under the guidance of a doctor, you can not arbitrarily use their own.
The efficacy and role of chitin:
1. Lower cholesterol:
Chitin in the body in the form of positively charged cations, can be combined with bile acids and bile salts, can inhibit the absorption of cholesterol in the small intestine, will not only reduce the accumulation of cholesterol in the liver, but also reduce the concentration of malignant cholesterol, and improve the content of benign cholesterol
2. Enhance immunity:
Chitin can improve the body's immunity, has the effect of strengthening the role of immune cells. Animal experiments have confirmed that chitin's immune-enhancing effect helps to reduce the damage of tumor cells, and promote the newborn and normalization of damaged liver cells.
3. Adsorb harmful substances in the body and eliminate them from the body:
Chitin can also reduce the accumulation of heavy metals in the body, the accumulation of heavy metals in the body will cause neuropathy, organ dysfunction and other sequelae, chitin can adsorb heavy metals such as copper, cadmium, zinc, uranium, and excreted.
4. Stomach and intestines:
Chitin can promote the propagation of beneficial bacteria in the intestine, inhibit the growth of harmful bacteria, reduce the opportunity for the growth of coliform bacteria, can improve digestive function, to achieve the effect of stomach and intestines.
What benefits does consuming yellow mealworm bring to our body?
Yellow mealworm has the function and effect of supplementing nutrition, improving immunity, assisting in anti-fatigue, preserving the liver and brightening the eyes, reducing swelling and relieving pain, etc., but it needs to be consumed in moderation under the guidance of a doctor.
1.Supplementary Nutrition
Yellow mealworm is rich in amino acids, vitamins, minerals and other nutrients, appropriate consumption can be supplemented for the human body needs nutrients, to maintain the body nutritional balance.
2、Improve immunity
Yellow mealworms are rich in unsaturated fatty acids, DHA, EPA and other nutrients, these substances to a certain extent can improve the body's immunity.
3、Assist in anti-fatigue
If the patient often do heavy physical labor, resulting in excessive fatigue, may appear depressed, body weakness and other symptoms, at this time to eat the appropriate yellow mealworm can play an auxiliary anti-fatigue effect.
4、Protecting the liver and improving eyesight
Yellow mealworms are rich in vitamin A, can promote the development of eye nerves, to a certain extent, can also achieve the effect of liver and eyesight, can improve the situation of vision loss.
5, reduce swelling and pain
Yellow mealworm has the effect of swelling and pain, in the clinic can be used to relieve the fracture caused by local swelling, pain and other symptoms.
Although the efficacy of the yellow mealworm has a lot, but it is not suitable for all people to eat, especially to the yellow mealworm allergy crowd, easy to cause allergic reactions. Patients need to be treated with medication under the guidance of a doctor and avoid using it on their own to avoid causing adverse reactions. If the patient in the process of using any uncomfortable symptoms, it is recommended to stop the drug and seek medical treatment in a timely manner.