Bombyx mori Linnaeus, Oxya yezoensis Shiraki, and Phalera flavescens（Bremer et Grey）as Potential Dietary Sources of Hydrophilic Antioxidants

To evaluate the dietary antioxidant content of insects, we analyzed the hydrophilic oxygen radical absorbance capacity（H-ORAC） of silkworms（Bombyx mori Linnaeus）, and rice grasshoppers（Oxya yezoensis Shiraki）, which have been used as edible insects in Japan for many years, and Japanese buff-tip moths, Phalera flavescens（Bremer et Grey）, which feed on cherry blossom tree leaves. Among these three insects, the H-ORAC value was highest（7455±185 µmol Trolox eq./100 g FW）in O. yezoensis adults, followed by B. mori pupae（4417.5±270.1）, B. mori larvae（4280±189.1）, and P. flavescens larvae（4112.5±409.4）. The H-ORAC of all three insect species were more than twice those of most fresh vegetables, suggesting high antioxidant potential.