LINSEED TO INCREASE N-3 FATTY ACIDS IN TENEBRIO MOLITOR (COLEOPTERA TENEBRIONIDAE)

The yellow mealworm Tenebrio molitor is one of the most promising edible insect species for human consumption and its potential use as a supplement of unsaturated fatty acids (UFA) for human diet, has been recently confirmed. The possibility to enhance polyunsaturated acids (PUFA), especially omega-3 (n-3) content, was evaluated in T. molitor mealworms. The purpose was to obtain an n-6/n-3 ratio more suitable for human consumption, which is useful for the secondary prevention of cardiovascular diseases. To this end, tests were carried out by adding linseed, as source of n-3 acid, to insect feeding diets. A decrease of saturated fatty acids (SFA) and an increase of PUFA contents, especially n-3 acid, was simultaneously observed in larvae fed on almost all the diets enriched with linseed. As a result, supplementation of feeding diets with linseed determined a favorable insect growth rate and a decrease of n-6/n-3 ratio to values more suitable for the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular diseases.