Sources associated with different insect products and the bioactive substances that provide health benefits.
| Sources | Obtained products | Bioactive compound | Application | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Insects (generally) | Proteins/Peptides | Bioactive peptides | Potential for managing inflammatory, cancer, microbial, cardiovascular diseases | [30] |
| Black soldiers fly, mealworm cricket | Lipids | UFA, omega-3, 6, and 9, 6-lauric acid | Used in cosmetics, food, and pharmaceuticals like antimicrobial diseases, cardiovascular health | [33, 35] |
| Bees | Honey | Quercetin, caffeic acid and gallic acid, minerals, enzymes | Treatment for burns, ulcers, wound healing, antimicrobial, antioxidant, antimicrobial benefits | [38, 39] |
| Wax and nectar | Esters, fatty acids, rutin, quercetin, nectarins | Used in cosmetics and as an emulsifying agent | [73, 74] | |
| Propolis | Phenolic acid, flavonoid, vitamins, volatile compounds | Used in bone formation, chronic infections, antioxidants, anti-inflammatory, anticancer | [42, 48] | |
| Royal jelly | MRJPs, 10-hydroxy-2-decanoic acid, flavonoids | Potential for immunomodulating, neuroprotective, anti-aging, anti-cancer, anti-diabetic | [50] | |
| Silkworm | Sericin and fibroin | Sericin, fibroin, serrapeptase | Used in dermatology, tissue engineering, and reducing blood clots and inflammation | [62] |
| Blister beetles | CTD | CTD and non-CTD | Used for warts and skin diseases, anticancerous via inducing apoptosis, antiviral, and protecting from plant parasitic infections | [69, 71] |
| Wasp venom | Melittin and mastoparan | Melittin, mastoparan peptides | Treating infectious diseases, cancer, neurodegenerative disorders by modulating the oxidative stress pathway | [62, 72] |
CTD: cantharidin; MRJPs: major royal jelly proteins; UFA: unsaturated fatty acid.
All authors are thankful to their parent institution for providing a platform for this scientific contribution.
FR, PG, and PS: Conceptualization, Writing—original draft, Writing—review & editing, Supervision. MT, NP, and SS: Writing—original draft, Writing—review & editing. All authors read and approved the submitted version.
The authors do not have any conflict of interest.
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