The significant contribution of oil extracted from flies to inflammatory bowel infections

This may sound strange, but the black soldier fly (Hermetia illucens, BSF) is considered a rising star in the animal feed industry. The maggots of the black soldier fly contain about 40% protein and about 35% fat, but while the depleted protein from maggots is used as a premium product for pet feeding and aquaculture today, the applied potential of oil extraction has not yet been defined. The use of fly larvae as an alternative to proteins extracted from waste common in the pet food industry, is an appropriate protein substitute and provides high-quality products with a high protein content that are rich in essential amino acids.A study currently underway by doctoral student Hadas Richter in Prof. Betty Schwartz’s laboratory, Department of Food Chemistry and Nutrition at the Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment of the Hebrew University, with the support of Entoprotech Ltd and BioBee Sde Eliyahu Ltd, examines for the first time the nutritional benefits of BSF , And its effect on inflammation. The study was first presented at an agricultural science conference in Israel held last week.

“BSF oil contains about 40-50% lauric acid, a fatty acid with antimicrobial properties and anti-inflammatory effects in the colon,” said Hadas Richter. “In addition to lauric acid, the oil contains palmitic acid and oleic acid, which have been reported in studies to have a positive effect on the microbiome composition and reduce intestinal inflammation. Therefore, the oil extracted from black soldier fly larvae has the potential to offer a unique mechanism for preventing or treating inflammatory conditions.”

The researchers found that black soldier fly oil reduced inflammation in macrophages of the immune system, by suppressing and secreting pro-inflammatory cytokines (proteins that form the basis for intercellular communication in immune responses).

In addition, in an experiment in laboratory mice in the acute colitis model (inflammatory bowel disease), the black soldier’s fly oil significantly reduced clinical signs of the disease. “A diet based on 20% BSF oil moderated the shortening of the intestinal length and prevented enlargement of the spleen, compared to diets containing 20% ​​palm oil or 20% soybean oil,” Richter explained. In the analysis of intestinal tissue, it was found that the levels of white blood cells of the lymphocyte B type in the intestinal tissue of mice suffering from colitis who were fed on a BSF diet were significantly lower compared to mice fed on a palm diet or soy diet. Lymphocytes are white cells of the acquired (adaptive) immune system and are mobilized with the development of the chronic phase of the disease in order to neutralize the pathogen and produce immune memory.

Prof. Betty Schwartz concludes: “An anti-inflammatory diet adapted for colitis patients can serve as a line of defense for regression and remission of the disease. Our goal is to investigate the potential of black soldier fly oil as an ingredient in a diet adapted for the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease. Our research results can be used by industry The food for animals in the first stage, but later also for people. “