Evaluation of Antioxidant Properties in Three Commercially Important Edible Insects from Manipur

Antioxidants are compounds that protect cells from oxidative stress generated by free radicals, which are unstable molecules that can harm cells and lead to aging and development of chronic diseases. The study evaluates the antioxidant activity of three edible insect species (Anoplophora glabripennis, Lethocerus indicus and Vespa magnifica) collected from different market of Manipur, India using DPPH assay, performed in methanol and ethanol solvents. Results indicate variations in antioxidant potential across samples and solvents. L. indicus demonstrated the strongest radical scavenging activity, particularly in ethanol, with high inhibition percentages of 82.64% and low IC50 values (62.22 µg/mL). In contrast, A. glabripennis showed moderate activity in methanol (RSA%=82.69%; IC50 = 549.71 µg/mL) and relatively weak performance in ethanol (RSA %=61.55%; IC50 = 1414.89 µg/ml), while V. magnifica exhibited moderate antioxidant capacity in ethanol (RSA%=83.90%; IC50=277.5 µg/mL) but weaker activity in methanol (RSA%=74.06%; IC50=600 µg/mL). The findings of the present study suggest that A. glabripennis, L. indicus and V. magnifica have antioxidant potential and holds significant promise as a sustainable food source with potential applications in health sciences.