Efeito do consumo de insetos no cérebro e suplementação alimentar com farinha de abelhas (Apis melífera) no metabolismo e controle de modelo de camundongo com obesidade induzida por dieta rica em gordura

Abstract

Obesity manifests itself as a condition resulting from an energy imbalance, in which calorific intake exceeds energy expenditure, and represents a notable risk factor for a series of comorbidities. Recently, there has been an increase in research into the beneficial metabolic effects associated with dietary supplementation with insects, due to their nutritional and functional potential. Edible insects are recognised for being rich sources of macro- and micronutrients, historically consumed by traditional communities and often used in traditional medicine. In the study in question, a bromatological assessment of whole bee flour was carried out in order to verify its nutritional composition, followed by supplementation of the diet with this flour in obese mice induced by a high-fat diet. To do this, the animals were divided into four groups: one group fed a standard diet (ST), one group fed a high-fat diet (HFD), and two groups fed a high-fat diet with the incorporation of 15% and 30% bee flour. The main results showed a significant reduction in body weight in the groups given bee meal supplementation compared to the group given the high-fat diet (HFD). In addition, a notable improvement in metabolic parameters was observed, accompanied by a significant positive modulation in the expression of genes involved in lipogenesis in the groups treated with bee flour. In conclusion, the findings suggest that bee flour represents a promising food source for the development of new therapeutic strategies aimed at alleviating obesity and metabolic disorders.