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Advisor(s)
Abstract(s)
Entomotherapy, the use of insects for medicinal purposes, has been practised for centuries in
many countries around the world. More than 2100 edible insect species are eaten by humans, but
little is known about the possibility of using these insects as a promising alternative to traditional
pharmaceuticals for treating diseases. This review offers a fundamental understanding of the
therapeutic applications of insects and how they might be used in medicine. In this review, 235
insect species from 15 orders are reported to be used as medicine. Hymenoptera contains the
largest medicinal insect species, followed by Coleoptera, Orthoptera, Lepidoptera, and Blattodea.
Scientists have examined and validated the potential uses of insects along with their products and
by-products in treating various diseases, and records show that they are primarily used to treat
digestive and skin disorders. Insects are known to be rich sources of bioactive compounds,
explaining their therapeutic features such as anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, antiviral, and so
on. Challenges associated with the consumption of insects (entomophagy) and their therapeutic
uses include regulation barriers and consumer acceptance. Moreover, the overexploitation of
medicinal insects in their natural habitat has led to a population crisis, thus necessitating the
investigation and development of their mass-rearing procedure. Lastly, this review suggests po tential directions for developing insects used in medicine and offers advice for scientists inter ested in entomotherapy. In future, entomotherapy may become a sustainable and cost-effective
solution for treating various ailments and has the potential to revolutionize modern medicine.
Description
Keywords
Entomotherapy Medicine Diseases Entomophagy Consumer acceptance Mass rearing Edible insect . Centro de Química da Madeira Faculdade de Ciências Exatas e da Engenharia
Citation
Publisher
Elsevier BV