Concentrados proteicos de Hormigas Santandereanas (Atta laevigata): Caracterización y evaluación de su capacidad antinflamatoria tras el proceso de digestión gastrointestinal in vitro

Abstract

Entomophagy is an ancestral habit that is practiced in Ecuador, however, studies on this type of consumption are scarce or incomplete, in our country various types of insects are consumed, among the most prominent the chontacuro (Rhynchophorus palmarum) and the ant (Atta laevigata), this activity is mostly carried out by indigenous communities, since they associate these insects to great protein contributions. Thus, in this research work, several analyses were carried out to determine if the Santandereana ant (Atta laevigata) flour contributes to food security and food sovereignty. The proximal analysis of the flour shows that it is a food with a high amount of protein, the protein concentrate was obtained through the combination of solubilization and precipitation pHs of 12 and 4, respectively. From ant proteins, simulated gastrointestinal digestion favors the release of peptides with anti-inflammatory activity, while during duodenal digestion such activity is completely lost. In addition, a protein characterization was performed by SDS-PAGE electrophoresis, the ant meal and its protein concentrate presented 15 types of proteins with molecular weights between 11.97 and 191.06 kDa; as for the gastric digest, 8 proteins of 35.26 - 191.06 kDa were evidenced, which resisted the action of pepsin; finally, the intestinal digest did not present any proteins. As for the anti-inflammatory capacity, the peptides released during gastric digestion are the main responsible with a protection of 85.64 percent.