Insects: an underrepresented resource for the discovery of biologically active natural products

Abstract

Nature has been the source of life-changing and -saving medications for centuries. Aspirin, penicillin and morphine are prime examples of Nature׳s gifts to medicine. These discoveries catalyzed the field of natural product drug discovery which has mostly focused on plants. However, insects have more than twice the number of species and entomotherapy has been in practice for as long as and often in conjunction with medicinal plants and is an important alternative to modern medicine in many parts of the world. Herein, an overview of current traditional medicinal applications of insects and characterization of isolated biologically active molecules starting from approximately 2010 is presented. Insect natural products reviewed were isolated from ants, bees, wasps, beetles, cockroaches, termites, flies, true bugs, moths and more. Biological activities of these natural products from insects include antimicrobial, antifungal, antiviral, anticancer, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory effects.

Cancer therapeutics inspired by defense mechanisms in the animal kingdom

“…Entomotherapy is the medical use of insects and has been practiced for thousands of years in cultures across the world (Dossey, 2010). A variety of insects show promise in producing anticancer agents including ants, wasps, butterflies, cockroaches, flies, grasshoppers, beetles, and bees (Seabrooks & Hu, 2017).…”

Plant‐derived medicinal entomochemicals: an integrated approach to biodiscovery in Australia

“…Species, mostly from Lepidoptera, Coleoptera, Hemiptera, Hymenoptera, Orthoptera and Homoptera, are ingested or applied in all sorts of ways to treat a vast range of internal and external ailments (Costa‐Neto ; Dossey ; Meyer‐Rochow ). The ethnomedicinal applications of insects and their pharmacological properties have been detailed in several excellent reviews (Dossey ; Ratcliffe et al ; Anudita and Deepa ; Meyer‐Rochow ; Seabrooks and Hu ). Bioactive compounds such as phenols, flavonoids, terpenes, saponins, sugars, alkaloids, glycosides and fatty acids have been characterised from a wide variety of insects and shown to have biological activities including antioxidant, anti‐inflammatory, antiproliferative, cytotoxic, analgesic, immunomodulatory, antidiabetic, cardioprotective, anti‐hypertensive, antimicrobial and insecticidal properties.…”

“…A well‐known example is that of the monoterpene, cantharidin, derived from blister beetles (Meloidae) which are traditionally used to treat cancers, warts and skin diseases and to stimulate sexual arousal. Extensive analyses of cantharidin and its analogues or derivatives have revealed powerful antiproliferative, cytotoxic and immunomodulatory activities, making them promising anticancer and immunosuppressive agents; reviewed in Ratcliffe et al () and Seabrooks and Hu ().…”

“…The ongoing search for new medical treatment options along with increasing concern about drug and pesticide resistance continues to drive global demand for novel pharmaceuticals and biologically active compounds. Although plants have provided the vast majority of natural products to date, there is a growing recognition of the enormous bioprospecting potential offered by insects and other invertebrates (Dimarcq and Hunneyball ; Cherniack ; Dossey ; Anudita and Deepa ; Seabrooks and Hu ). However, rapid and ongoing declines of global insect biodiversity have recently been brought to light by Sánchez‐Bayo and Wyckhuys (), with Lepidoptera and Hymenoptera among the terrestrial insect groups most affected.…”

Antibacterial Activities of Chrysomya albiceps Maggots’ Extracts (Diptera: Calliphoridae)

“…Biological activities of these products include antimicrobial, antifungal, antiviral, anticancer, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory effects. (Seabrooks et al, 2017). The crude extract exerts antibacterial effects by changing the bacterial membrane permeability and inhibiting plasmid DNA replication (Ge et al, 2015) The present study aimed to evaluate the effect of C. albiceps crude extract and excretion/secretion on some pathogenic bacteria; Escherichia coli and Pseudomonous aeruginosa as Gram-negative bacteria and Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus subtilis as Gram-positive bacteria.…”