Harvesting of antimicrobial peptides from insect (Hermetia illucens) and its applications in the food packaging

Abstract

About one-third of the total food produced is wasted, rising the concern to adopt proper management. Simultaneously with the increase in population, demand for food is increasing which may lead to scarcity. Adequate packaging is one of the ways to avoid deterioration of food and prevent wastage. In recent years, active packaging has attained interest due to its commendable results in food preservation. Several studies proved that the embodiment of antimicrobial components into the packaging material has the ability to prevent microbial contamination. Antimicrobial peptides (AMP) are newly discovered antimicrobial agents for impregnation into packaging material. Among various sources for AMP, insects have shown great resistivity against a wide spectrum of microorganisms. Insects feed on substances consisting of a varying range of contaminations, which often results in infections. Insects synthesise AMPs to fight such infections and survive in that atmosphere. The disease-causing agents in humans are the same as those found in insects. Hence, AMPs extracted from insects have the potential to fight the microorganisms that act as hazards to human health. This review highlights the harvesting and synthesis of AMPs from Hermetia illucens, which is a promising source for AMP and its applications in the food packaging industry. © 2021 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article.