Insect Meal as Alternative Protein Source Exerts Pronounced Lipid-Lowering Effects in Hyperlipidemic Obese Zucker Rats

Gessner, Denise K; Schwarz, Anne; Meyer, Sandra; Wen, Gaiping; Most, Erika; Zorn, Holger; Ringseis, Robert; Eder, Klaus

doi:10.1093/jn/nxy256

Cited by 53Insect Utilization and EffectsCholesterol and Lipid MetabolismDiet, Metabolism, and Disease

Insect Meal as Alternative Protein Source Exerts Pronounced Lipid-Lowering Effects in Hyperlipidemic Obese Zucker Rats

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Gessner, Denise K, Schwarz, Anne, Meyer, Sandra, Wen, Gaiping, Most, Erika, Zorn, Holger, Ringseis, Robert, Eder, Klaus·2019·The Journal of Nutrition

DOI 10.1093/jn/nxy256

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Abstract

Background Specific dietary proteins exert strong health-related effects compared with casein.Objective Herein, the hypothesis was tested using screening and conventional biochemical and molecular biological techniques that protein-rich insect meal compared with casein influences metabolic health in hyperlipidemic rats.Methods A 4-wk feeding trial with male, 8-wk-old homozygous obese Zucker rats (n = 36) and male, 8-wk-old heterozygous lean Zucker rats (n = 12) was performed. Obese rats were randomly divided into 3 obese groups (OC, OI50, and OI100) of 12 rats each and lean rats served as a lean control group (LC). LC and OC were fed a control diet with 20% casein as protein source, whereas in OI50 and OI100 50% and 100% of the casein, respectively, was replaced isonitrogenously by insect meal from Tenebrio molitor L. All data were analyzed by 1-factor ANOVA, except transcriptomic data which were analyzed by groupwise comparisons with the OC group.Results Transcript profiling revealed a coordinated inhibition by -17% to -521% and -37% to -859% of genes involved in fatty acid, triacylglycerol (TG), and cholesterol biosynthesis in the livers of OI100 and OI50, respectively, compared with OC (P < 0.05). Enzyme activities of fatty acid synthase, glucose-6 phosphate dehydrogenase, and 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-coenzyme-A reductase in the liver were 100-150% greater in OC compared with LC, but reduced by 50-60% in OI100 compared with OC (P < 0.05), to the same level as in LC. Liver and plasma concentrations of TG and cholesterol were 250-1000%, 30-800%, and 40-600% higher in OC, OI50, and OI100, respectively, than in LC (P < 0.05), but 40-60% and 20-60% lower in OI100 and OI50, respectively, than in group OC (P < 0.05). Plasma and liver concentrations of homocysteine were 20-30% lower in group OI100 than in group OC (P < 0.05).Conclusion Insect meal exerts pronounced lipid-lowering effects in hyperlipidemic rats and, thus, might be useful for hyperlipidemic individuals.

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Feeding of protein-rich insect meal produced from Tenebrio molitor markedly decreases liver and/or plasma lipids in obese Zucker rats.
“recent reports showed that feeding of protein-rich insect meal produced from industrialised mass-rearing of the edible species Tenebrio molitor markedly decreases liver and/or plasma lipids in obese Zucker rats [17,18,30].”
From Effect of Ecdysterone on the Hepatic Transcriptome and Lipid Metabolism in Lean and Obese Zucker Rats (2021) · cites this paper as [17]
A marked inhibition of lipid synthetic pathways in the liver is an important mechanism underlying the lipid-lowering action of Tenebrio molitor meal.
“As an important mechanism underlying this lipid-lowering action of Tenebrio molitor meal, a marked inhibition of lipid synthetic pathways in the liver has been identified [17,18].”
From Effect of Ecdysterone on the Hepatic Transcriptome and Lipid Metabolism in Lean and Obese Zucker Rats (2021) · cites this paper as [17]
The filter criteria FC > 1.3 and p < 0.05 were used for defining differentially expressed transcripts.
“transcripts with an FC > 1.3 and a Student’s t-test p-value < 0.05 were defined as upregulated, and those with aN FC < −1.3 and a Student’s t-test p-value < 0.05 as downregulated for the comparison OE vs. OC and LE vs. LC.”
From Effect of Ecdysterone on the Hepatic Transcriptome and Lipid Metabolism in Lean and Obese Zucker Rats (2021) · cites this paper as [17]
IM causes a profound inhibition of hepatic lipogenesis and cholesterogenesis.
“Thus, based on the current and our recent findings from gene expression and enzyme activity measurements in the liver, IM causes a profound inhibition of hepatic lipogenesis and cholesterogenesis.”
From Supplementation of Sulfur-Containing Amino Acids or Essential Amino Acids Does Not Reverse the Hepatic Lipid-Lowering Effect of a Protein-Rich Insect Meal in Obese Zucker Rats (2020) · cites this paper as [14]
Feeding IM from Tenebrio molitor instead of casein causes a marked attenuation of liver steatosis and hyperlipidemia due to the inhibition of hepatic TG and cholesterol synthesis in obese Zucker rats.
“Interestingly, we have recently demonstrated in two studies with obese Zucker rats that feeding IM from Yellow mealworm (Tenebrio molitor L.) instead of casein as a protein source also causes a marked attenuation of liver steatosis and hyperlipidemia due to the inhibition of hepatic triacylglycerol (TG) and cholesterol synthesis [14,15].”
From Supplementation of Sulfur-Containing Amino Acids or Essential Amino Acids Does Not Reverse the Hepatic Lipid-Lowering Effect of a Protein-Rich Insect Meal in Obese Zucker Rats (2020) · cites this paper as [14]

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Effect of Ecdysterone on the Hepatic Transcriptome and Lipid Metabolism in Lean and Obese Zucker Rats
Marschall, M. J. M., Ringseis, R., Gessner, D. K., Grundmann, S. M., Most, E., Wen, G., Maheshwari, G., Zorn, H., & Eder, K. (2021) · International Journal of Molecular Sciences · doi:10.3390/ijms22105241 · Cited by 13 · see citing works
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Supplementation of Sulfur-Containing Amino Acids or Essential Amino Acids Does Not Reverse the Hepatic Lipid-Lowering Effect of a Protein-Rich Insect Meal in Obese Zucker Rats
Meyer, S., Schäfer, L., Röhrig, J., Maheshwari, G., Most, E., Zorn, H., Ringseis, R., Eder, K., & Gessner, D. K. (2020) · Nutrients · doi:10.3390/nu12040987 · Cited by 5 · see citing works
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Authors: Gessner, D. K., Schwarz, A., Meyer, S., Wen, G., Most, E., Zorn, H., Ringseis, R., & Eder, K.
Affiliations: Justus-Liebig-Universität Gießen (DE)
Corresponding author: Ringseis, Robert
ORCID: Gessner, Denise K
Zorn, Holger
Ringseis, Robert
Eder, Klaus
Venue: The Journal of Nutrition
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Published: 2019-04
Volume: 149
Issue: 4
Pages: 566-577
ISSN: 0022-3166 (ISSN-L)
DOI: 10.1093/jn/nxy256
OpenAlex: W2913068673
Cited by: 53
References: 42
Citations by year: 2026: 5 · 2025: 3 · 2024: 6 · 2023: 12 · 2022: 7 · 2021: 10 · 2020: 7 · 2019: 1 · 2018: 2
FWCI: 4.56
Type: journal article
Language: en
Open access: bronze
doi.org
Licence: www.elsevier.com/tdm/userlicense/1.0/ (tdm)
www.elsevier.com/open-access/userlicense/1.0/ (vor, 1389 d)
Locations: Journal of Nutrition (publishedVersion)
PubMed (publishedVersion)
Funders: Hessen State Ministry of Higher Education, Research and the Arts
Topics: Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Insect Science › Insect Utilization and Effects
Health Sciences › Medicine › Surgery › Cholesterol and Lipid Metabolism
Health Sciences › Medicine › Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism › Diet, Metabolism, and Disease
Keywords: insect meal, Tenebrio molitor, alternative protein sources, hyperlipidemia, obesity, hypolipidemic effect, casein replacement, fatty acid synthesis, triglyceride synthesis, cholesterol biosynthesis, hepatic gene expression, fatty acid synthase, HMG-CoA reductase, glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase, serum cholesterol, plasma triglycerides
MeSH terms: Animals, Animal Feed, Dietary Proteins, Gene Expression Regulation, Insecta, Lipids, Liver, Random Allocation, Rats, Zucker, Weight Gain, Computational Biology, Protein Array Analysis, Lipid Metabolism, Rats

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Insect Meal as Alternative Protein Source Exerts Pronounced Lipid-Lowering Effects in Hyperlipidemic Obese Zucker Rats

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