USE OF CAENORHABDITIS ELEGANS AS AN IN VIVO MODEL FOR ANTIOXIDANT ACTIVITY OF BIOACTIVE PEPTIDES FROM EDIBLE CRICKET PROTEIN

Edible insects, a novel source of protein, are gaining interest for their health promoting attributes. In this study, the in vivo and in vitro antioxidant effect of tropical banded cricket (Gryllodes sigillatus) peptides was evaluated. Antioxidant activity by 2,2′-azino-bis (3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonic acid) (ABTS) radical scavenging activity, oxygen radical antioxidant capacity (ORAC) and caco-2 cellular antioxidant activity, were measured in hydrolyzed followed by simulated gastrointestinal digested (SGD) cricket peptides. In vivo analysis was conducted using Caenorhabditis elegans as a model. In vitro analysis showed cricket peptides had greater (p< 0.05) antioxidant activity than the unhydrolyzed protein (control). In C. elegans, the lifespan of nematodes fed SGD peptides increased under chronic and acute oxidative stress conditions. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels of nematodes fed SGD peptides under paraquat induced oxidative stress were lower (p<0.05) than that of the control group. Further studies using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) indicated that the increased resistance to oxidative stress in C. elegans fed SGD peptides could be due to the increased expression of the stress-related gene gst-4. Taken together, these results indicate that tropical banded cricket peptides could be used as a functional food and nutraceutical to combat oxidative stress.