Project description:Mealworms and crickets are edible protein-dense insects that can be produced more sustainably than animal proteins from livestock, and are therefore promising alternative protein sources for human consumption. The protein amount provided by a food source is, however, dependent on the protein digestibility. To evaluate hydrolysis of insect proteins compared to the highly digestible chicken breast, mealworms and crickets that underwent different food preparation and processing steps (blanching, oven-drying, freeze-drying and dechitinization) were subjected to the static INFOGEST in vitro digestion protocol. Peptide patterns were created by sampling in vitro digesta multiple times throughout the in vitro digestion protocol (one sample in the oral phase, and ten in the gastric as well as the intestinal phase). Peptides in digesta were isolated, and samples from the different time points were measured by LC-MS analysis.
