Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39412188›Full record

ArticleJournal of the science of food and agriculture2025

Exploring Tenebrio molitor as a source of low-molecular-weight antimicrobial peptides using a n in silico approach: correlation of molecular features and molecular docking.

Teresa Gonzalez-de la Rosa, Elvira Marquez-Paradas, Maria J Leon, Sergio Montserrat-de la Paz, Fernando Rivero-Pino

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Journal of the science of food and agriculture, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

3 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Biotech (Basel (Switzerland)) · 2026
    Article
  2. Keap1-Inhibitory Peptides fromMolecules (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026
    Article
  3. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors.

Teresa Gonzalez-de la RosaDepartment of Medical Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, and Immunology, School of Medicine, University of Seville, Seville, Spain.
Elvira Marquez-ParadasDepartment of Medical Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, and Immunology, School of Medicine, University of Seville, Seville, Spain.
Maria J LeonDepartment of Microbiology and Parasitology, School of Pharmacy, University of Seville, Seville, Spain.
Sergio Montserrat-de la PazDepartment of Medical Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, and Immunology, School of Medicine, University of Seville, Seville, Spain.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5400-3192
Fernando Rivero-PinoDepartment of Medical Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, and Immunology, School of Medicine, University of Seville, Seville, Spain.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1326-7452

Funding

Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundYellow mealworm (Tenebrio molitor) larvae are increasingly recognized as a potential source of bioactive peptides due to their high protein content. Antimicrobial peptides from sustainable sources are a research topic of interest. This study aims to characterize the peptidome of T. molitor flour and an Alcalase-derived hydrolysate, and to explore the potential presence of antimicrobial peptides using in silico analyses, including prediction tools, molecular docking and parameter correlations.

resultsT. molitor protein was hydrolysed using Alcalase, resulting in a hydrolysate (TMH10A) with a 10% degree of hydrolysis. The peptidome was analysed using LC-TIMS-MS/MS, yielding over 6000 sequences. These sequences were filtered using the PeptideRanker tool, selecting the top 100 sequences with scores >0.8. Bioactivity predictions indicated that specific peptides, particularly WLNSKGGF and GFIPYEPFLKKMMA, showed significant antimicrobial potential, particularly against bacteria, fungi and viruses. Correlations were found between antifungal activity and physicochemical properties such as net charge, hydrophobicity and isoelectric point.

conclusionsThe study identified specific T. molitor-derived peptides with strong predicted antimicrobial activity through in silico analysis. These peptides, particularly WLNSKGGF and GFIPYEPFLKKMMA, might offer potential applications in food safety and healthcare. Further experimental validation is required to confirm their efficacy. © 2024 The Author(s). Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.

Indexed as

Anti-Infective AgentsAntimicrobial PeptidesInsect ProteinsTenebrioAmino Acid SequenceAnimalsBacteriaComputer SimulationFungiLarvaMolecular Docking SimulationMolecular WeightTandem Mass SpectrometryAnti-Infective AgentsAntimicrobial PeptidesInsect Proteinsbacteriabioactive peptidesfungipeptidomeproteomic profilevirus

Identifiers

PMID39412188
PMCPMC11726611

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.