Simple Summary The growing demand for sustainable sources of food and animal feed has increased interest in edible insects, which can convert low-value organic materials into nutritious biomass. However, their nutritional composition can vary depending on what they eat and how they are reared, making it difficult to consistently produce insects with desired nutritional properties. This review examines how diet and the communities of microorganisms living in the insect gut work together to influence growth, nutrient use, fats, proteins, and other valuable compounds. The available evidence shows that diets containing agricultural by-products, food residues, seaweeds, and other nutrient-rich materials can change the nutritional composition and quality of edible insects. The review also shows that gut microorganisms contribute to digestion, nutrient transformation, adaptation to different diets, and the conversion of organic materials into useful biomass. However, important gaps remain because the mechanisms behind these interactions are not yet fully understood and production methods are not sufficiently standardized. Combining improved feeding strategies, knowledge of gut microorganisms, biological analysis, and automated production could help produce insects with more predictable nutritional properties. This approach could support sustainable food and feed production, reduce organic waste, and strengthen circular and resource-efficient agricultural systems.
M. Ezzaitouni, Tarik Chileh Chelh, E. Belarbi et al.· Insects· 0 citations
Global agricultural productivity is increasingly threatened by climate change, soil salinization, and freshwater scarcity. In response, edible halophytes such as Crambe maritima L. (sea kale) are emerging as resilient, promising alternative crops for biosaline agriculture. This review comprehensively evaluates the agronomic, phytochemical, and commercial potential of C. maritima and related Crambe species. We examine current propagation protocols and highlight the application of controlled-environment agriculture (CEA) to leverage “saline eustress,” strategically enhancing secondary metabolite biosynthesis without penalizing harvestable biomass. Nutritionally, Crambe species exhibit a highly favorable profile, selectively accumulating essential macro- and micro-minerals alongside potent bioactive compounds, particularly characteristic glucosinolates, including sinigrin, together with diverse phenolic acids. These specific secondary metabolites confer antioxidant defense system and antimicrobial properties, positioning the genus as an unexploited resource for functional foods, nutraceuticals, and cosmeceuticals. However, successfully transitioning C. maritima from a wild coastal halophyte into a reliable horticultural crop necessitates overcoming critical domestication bottlenecks, including mechanical seed dormancy, polygenic salinity tolerance, and a scarcity of long-term field data. By addressing these multidisciplinary challenges through targeted breeding and advanced agronomy, C. maritima represents a highly promising candidate for dietary diversification and the advancement of climate-resilient agricultural systems.
Tatiana Pagan Loeiro Cunha-Chiamolera, Ignacio Rodríguez-García, M. Urrestarazu et al.· Horticulturae· 0 citations