Black soldier fly larvae drying methods affect Osborne protein fractionation

Black soldier fly larvae (BSFL) biomass is a sustainable protein and lipid source, but efficient protein fractionation and extraction are needed to expand their applications in food, feed, and the nutraceutical industry. The first objective of this study was to study the impact of larvae drying methods (heat-drying, freeze-drying, and not dried) on protein type and extraction yield by Osborne fractionation. Freeze-drying preserved water-soluble proteins, yielding the highest albumin protein (32.3%) and the most protein-containing glutelin fraction (92.4%). Heat-drying reduced protein solubility but promoted mineral co-extraction into the soluble albumin fraction. As a proof-of-concept, protein extraction from the heat-dried BSFL was further explored using higher pH of 13 and sonication that led to a significantly increased protein yield: 57.5% compared to 42.3% at pH 10 alone. Discussions of the challenges of BSFL protein extraction along with additional research directions are provided.