Enzymatic hydrolysis of house cricket (Acheta domesticus) protein for the production of bioactive peptides with potential anti-aging and anti-NCD activities

Abstract

The increasing prevalence of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) has driven the demand for sustainable functional food ingredients with therapeutic potential. This study investigated the enzymatic hydrolysis of house cricket ( Acheta domesticus ) protein to generate bioactive peptides with anti-aging and anti-NCD activities. Among the enzymes tested, trypsin and papain exhibited minimal hydrolytic capacity, whereas Flavourzyme®, Alcalase®, and Neutrase® applied individually and in pairwise combinations effectively hydrolyzed the protein under optimized conditions of phosphate-buffered saline, pH 7.0, 60 °C, 150 rpm, 8 h, 0.8 % v/v enzyme concentration, and 1:10 w/v substrate-to-buffer ratio. These treatments significantly increased the degree of hydrolysis by ∼4 to 9-fold and enhanced the in vitro bioactivities of the resulting cricket protein hydrolysates (CPHs) including anti-aging effects and inhibition of the key enzymes associated with hypertension, obesity, diabetes, and Alzheimer’s disease. Multivariate analyses revealed that CPHs derived from Flavourzyme® and its combinations with Alcalase® or Neutrase® exhibited the most potent broad-spectrum inhibitory effects, suggesting their strong potential for mitigating aging processes, metabolic disorders, and neurodegenerative conditions. Techno-functional evaluations further showed improved solubility and stability across a wide pH range (pH 3–9) and salt concentrations (0–300 mM NaCl), although the emulsifying capacity remained limited. These findings highlighted the potential of protein hydrolysates from house crickets, especially those produced with Flavourzyme®, as multifunctional, health-promoting ingredients for sustainable food applications. However, further in vivo studies and peptide characterization are required to confirm their bioavailability, efficacy, and safety. Our results support the utilization of insect-based functional foods for NCD prevention and management.