Antioxidant Properties of an Extract of Hermetia illucens Larvae

An aqueous extract was obtained from the biomass of Hermetia illucens larvae using the electro-pulse plasma-dynamic method. The extract was highly effective in quenching the chemiluminescence of luminol in the presence of hemoglobin and hydrogen peroxide. It contained the dark pigment melanin with a concentration of paramagnetic centers of 8.3 × 1016 spin/g of dry matter and antioxidant activity. The antiradical properties of the extract were confirmed on the model of oxidative stress of the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans in the presence of 40 mmol of paraquat: the introduction of the extract increased the median lifespan of the nematode by 25%. The antioxidant effect identified is associated with the presence of a complex of antioxidants in the extract and, possibly, antioxidant enzymes that destroy hydroperoxides.