Systematic Review of Recent Studies on Antioxidants in Edible Insects

The consumption of edible insects is increasingly recognized as a more environmentally sustainable alternative to conventional meat. With the potential to significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions, research interest in this field is growing. However, recent research has addressed the bioactive components present in edible insects and their beneficial physiological effects in humans, but it lacks integration of findings across experimental approaches. As this is an emerging field of research, consolidating current findings is crucial. Therefore, this review aims to consolidate the latest evidence regarding the antioxidant properties of edible insects and their role in mitigating oxidative stress. A systematic literature search was conducted using Google Scholar to identify studies investigating the antioxidant effects of edible insects. 18 eligible studies were selected based on inclusion criteria categorized based on their experimental design. Across the selected literature, various insects demonstrated strong ability to reduce oxidative stress, determined by a range of analytical methods. While the evidence provided by the current body of literature is promising, further research to evaluate different processing methods and developmental stages for harvest would benefit the effective integration of edible insects into daily diet. Thus, there remains a strong need for human dietary intervention studies to validate the antioxidant effects of edible insects and to support their functional health benefits as an alternative to meat.