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Siddiqui SA, Li C, Aidoo OF, Fernando I, Haddad MA, Pereira JA, Blinov A, Golik A, Câmara JS. Unravelling the potential of insects for medicinal purposes - A comprehensive review. Heliyon 2023; 9:e15938. [PMID: 37206028 PMCID: PMC10189416 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e15938] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2023] [Revised: 04/20/2023] [Accepted: 04/27/2023] [Indexed: 05/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Entomotherapy, the use of insects for medicinal purposes, has been practised for centuries in many countries around the world. More than 2100 edible insect species are eaten by humans, but little is known about the possibility of using these insects as a promising alternative to traditional pharmaceuticals for treating diseases. This review offers a fundamental understanding of the therapeutic applications of insects and how they might be used in medicine. In this review, 235 insect species from 15 orders are reported to be used as medicine. Hymenoptera contains the largest medicinal insect species, followed by Coleoptera, Orthoptera, Lepidoptera, and Blattodea. Scientists have examined and validated the potential uses of insects along with their products and by-products in treating various diseases, and records show that they are primarily used to treat digestive and skin disorders. Insects are known to be rich sources of bioactive compounds, explaining their therapeutic features such as anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, antiviral, and so on. Challenges associated with the consumption of insects (entomophagy) and their therapeutic uses include regulation barriers and consumer acceptance. Moreover, the overexploitation of medicinal insects in their natural habitat has led to a population crisis, thus necessitating the investigation and development of their mass-rearing procedure. Lastly, this review suggests potential directions for developing insects used in medicine and offers advice for scientists interested in entomotherapy. In future, entomotherapy may become a sustainable and cost-effective solution for treating various ailments and has the potential to revolutionize modern medicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shahida Anusha Siddiqui
- Technical University of Munich Campus Straubing for Biotechnology and Sustainability, Essigberg 3, 94315 Straubing, Germany
- German Institute of Food Technologies (DIL e.V.), Prof.-von-Klitzing Str. 7, 49610 D-Quakenbrück, Germany
- Corresponding author. Technical University of Munich Campus Straubing for Biotechnology and Sustainability, Essigberg 3, 94315 Straubing, Germany.
| | - Chujun Li
- Guangzhou Unique Biotechnology Co., Ltd, 510663, Guangzhou, China
- State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, School of Life Science, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510006, China
| | - Owusu Fordjour Aidoo
- Department of Biological, Physical and Mathematical Sciences, University of Environment and Sustainable Development, 00233, Somanya, Ghana
| | - Ito Fernando
- Department of Plant Pest and Diseases, Faculty of Agriculture, Universitas Brawijaya, Malang, 65145, East Java, Indonesia
| | - Moawiya A. Haddad
- Department of Nutrition and Food Processing, Faculty of Agricultural Technology, Al-Balqa Applied University, 19117, Al-Salt, Jordan
| | - Jorge A.M. Pereira
- CQM – Centro de Química da Madeira, Universidade da Madeira, Campus da Penteada, 9020-105 Funchal, Portugal
| | - Andrey Blinov
- North Caucasus Federal University, Pushkina Street 1, 355009, Stavropol, Russia
| | - Andrey Golik
- North Caucasus Federal University, Pushkina Street 1, 355009, Stavropol, Russia
| | - José S. Câmara
- CQM – Centro de Química da Madeira, Universidade da Madeira, Campus da Penteada, 9020-105 Funchal, Portugal
- Departamento de Química, Faculdade de Ciências Exatas e Engenharia, Universidade da Madeira, Campus da Penteada, 9020-105 Funchal, Portugal
- Corresponding author. CQM – Centro de Química da Madeira, Universidade da Madeira, Campus da Penteada, 9020-105 Funchal, Portugal.
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Zhang HS, Yan YM, Wang DW, Lv Q, Cheng YX, Wang SM. Small Molecule Constituents of Periplaneta americana and Their IL-6 Inhibitory Activities. Nat Prod Commun 2021. [DOI: 10.1177/1934578x211033180] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Two new glycosides, periplanosides A (1) and B (2), 3 compounds reported from a natural source for the first time (3 − 5), and 6 known compounds 6 − 11 were isolated from the ethanol extract of Periplaneta americana (Linnaeus). Their structures, including absolute configurations, were unambiguously identified by comprehensive spectroscopic and chemical methods. Compound 3 is a racemate whose enantiomers were purified by chiral high-performance liquid chromatography . The biological evaluation results showed that compound 7 (0 − 20 μM) did not affect the viability of RAW264.7 cells and could effectively inhibit the production of interleukin-6 stimulated by lipopolysaccharide in a concentration-dependent manner, indicating the potential to develop novel agents against inflammation-related diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hua-Sheng Zhang
- Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Guangzhou, PR China
- Institute for Inheritance-Based Innovation of Chinese Medicine, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Health Science Center, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, PR China
| | - Yong-Ming Yan
- Institute for Inheritance-Based Innovation of Chinese Medicine, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Health Science Center, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, PR China
| | - Dai-Wei Wang
- Institute for Inheritance-Based Innovation of Chinese Medicine, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Health Science Center, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, PR China
| | - Qing Lv
- Institute for Inheritance-Based Innovation of Chinese Medicine, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Health Science Center, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, PR China
- Guangdong Key Laboratory for Functional Substances in Medicinal Edible Resources and Healthcare Products, School of Life Sciences and Food Engineer, Hanshan Normal University, Chaozhou, PR China
| | - Yong-Xian Cheng
- Institute for Inheritance-Based Innovation of Chinese Medicine, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Health Science Center, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, PR China
- Guangdong Key Laboratory for Functional Substances in Medicinal Edible Resources and Healthcare Products, School of Life Sciences and Food Engineer, Hanshan Normal University, Chaozhou, PR China
| | - Shu-Mei Wang
- Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Guangzhou, PR China
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