Harvesting of Antimicrobial Peptides from Insect (Hermetia illucens) and Its Applications in the Food Packaging

Round 1

Reviewer 1 Report

This review paper is well organized and writed.  I really enjoyed reading it. Ι don't find something missing in terms of literature. It contains all the necessary information for someone who wants to make a very good first introduction to the topic.

Ι sugest some minor revisions in Figure 5 and 6.

Figure 5 must revised in order to be better readable the text in the cycles and triangles. 

Figure 6 must be in a higher analysis or remake it by using smart art of power point software.

Best wishes!

Author Response

Thank you for your valuable suggestions.

As per your reviews, I have made changes to my manuscript.

Point 1: Figure 5 must revised in order to be better readable the text in the cycles and triangles.

I have changed Figure 5 with better readability.

Point 2: Figure 6 must be in a higher analysis or remake by using smart art of PowerPoint software.

I have improved Figure 6 using smart art

Reviewer 2 Report

applsci-1286575-peer-review-v1

 

HARVESTING OF ANTIMICROBIAL PEPTIDES FROM INSECT (HERMETIA ILLUCENS) AND ITS APPLICATIONS IN THE FOOD PACKAGING

Review report

The study deals with an interesting topic in food science and technology nowadays as regards antimicrobial peptides applications in food packaging.

The review process was not easy because of the lack of number of pages and lines.

The review aims to evaluate the potential use of Antimicrobial peptides as antimicrobial agents for impregnation into packaging material and in particular antimicrobial peptides extracted from insects. The topic is of interest to academics.

The review is well written and easy to understand by readers and covers a large period of experimental data.

I believe that this manuscript does not need big changes.

Minor comments:

• The literature cited is up-to-date and extensive, but please consider also:

Gogliettino M., Balestrieri M., Ambrosio R. L., Anastasio A., Smaldone G., Proroga Y. T. R., Moretta R., Rea I., De Stefano L., Agrillo B., Palmieri G. (2020). Extending the Shelf-Life of Meat and Dairy Products via PET-Modified Packaging Activated With the Antimicrobial Peptide MTP1. FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY, vol. 10, ISSN: 1664-302X, doi: 10.3389/fmicb.2019.02963

• Please try to improve Figure 1
• I think that Figures 7 and 9 have little relevance and should be deleted.

 

Author Response

Thank you for your valuable suggestions.

Point 1: The literature cited is up-to-date and extensive, but please consider also:

Gogliettino M., Balestrieri M., Ambrosio R. L., Anastasio A., Smaldone G., Proroga Y. T. R., Moretta R., Rea I., De Stefano L., Agrillo B., Palmieri G. (2020). Extending the Shelf-Life of Meat and Dairy Products via PET-Modified Packaging Activated With the Antimicrobial Peptide MTP1. FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY, vol. 10, ISSN: 1664-302X, doi: 10.3389/fmicb.2019.02963

I have considered this research paper in my manuscript.

Point 2: Please try to improve Figure 1

I have updated Figure 1 by adding few more details to it.

Point 3: I think that Figures 7 and 9 have little relevance and should be deleted.

I have deleted Figures 7 and 9.

Reviewer 3 Report

The Authors propose an overview on the harvesting of Antimicrobial Peptides from Hermetia illucens and its application in the food packaging. They described shortly the AMP activity, and illustrated schematics of harvesting AMP from insects. Despite I suggest to enrich the review highlighting the advantage in the use of natural Antimicrobial Peptides in Food packaging material, to better explain the antibacterial activity and the impact on shelf life of food products.

Author Response

Thank you for your valuable suggestions.

Point 1:The Authors propose an overview on the harvesting of Antimicrobial Peptides from Hermetia illucens and its application in the food packaging. They described shortly the AMP activity, and illustrated schematics of harvesting AMP from insects. Despite I suggest to enrich the review highlighting the advantage in the use of natural Antimicrobial Peptides in Food packaging material, to better explain the antibacterial activity and the impact on shelf life of food products.

As per your suggestion, I have added the advantages of using antimicrobial peptides in food packaging in the Introduction section of my manuscript.

Reviewer 4 Report

The basic objective of the present manuscript was the harvesting and synthesis of AMPs from Hermetia illucens and its applications in food packaging industry, which sounds interesting but unfortunately there are parts throughout the manuscript which do not deliver the aforementioned. More information should have been included and it is not clear and convincing that the specific fly is the most important one, as well as what this review has to add to the already existing literature concerning the antimicrobial peptides form insects. Furthermore, this is a review written by authors who do not have previous published work on the subject, which is a major concern.

Author Response

Thank you for your valuable suggestions.

Point 1: The basic objective of the present manuscript was the harvesting and synthesis of AMPs from Hermetia illucens and its applications in food packaging industry, which sounds interesting but unfortunately there are parts throughout the manuscript which do not deliver the aforementioned. More information should have been included and it is not clear and convincing that the specific fly is the most important one, as well as what this review has to add to the already existing literature concerning the antimicrobial peptides form insects.

I have added few more pieces of literature highlighting the importance of Hermetia illucens in section 5: Harvesting of antimicrobial peptides from Hermetia illucens.

Point 2: Furthermore, this is a review written by authors who do not have previous published work on the subject, which is a major concern.

I have mentioned few pieces of literature regarding food packaging background published by the co-author of this manuscript which are further added in the manuscript as well.

Babu RP, O'connor K, Seeram R. Current progress on bio-based polymers and their future trends. Progress in biomaterials. 2013 Dec;2(1):1-6.

Kouhi M, Prabhakaran MP, Ramakrishna S. Edible polymers: An insight into its application in food, biomedicine and cosmetics. Trends in Food Science & Technology. 2020 Jul 12.

Round 2

Reviewer 4 Report

Although the authors tried to improve the manuscript, they did not manage to give detailed answers to all the comments. Besides comments 2 and 7, all other comments were not given much attention. 

Comments for author File: Comments.pdf

Author Response

Thank you for your valuable suggestion.

Comment 1: The introduction is not analytical enough. It should involve more
information about the AMPs

Reply 1: I have included a few more pieces of content in the introduction.

Comment 3: Please rewrite the first sentence (When....of AMPs).

Reply 3: I have made the corrections.

Comment 4: The whole section should be rewritten. The mode of the antimicrobial activity of AMPs is the essential part and concept of the review and yet is not very analytical and extended. The mode of the activity should be presented in a more thorough and detailed way.

Reply 4: I have added some more details in this section.

Comment 5: What about the interactions between the cell membrane and the
intracellular components?

Reply 5:  I have added details regarding this interaction.

Comment 6: Which are the representative peptides from Hermetia Illucens? Why is this insect so special?

Reply 6: I have mentioned representative AMPs in the manuscript.

Comment 8: Are there any problems that might appear be the use of AMPs? What about the cost of the AMPs and their incorporation into the packaging? Can their release be calculated?

Reply 8: Yes there are several issues in the use of AMP: harvesting issue, high cost, low stability, compatibility with the surface to which it has to be incorporated. 

Isolation of AMP is a costly process. The incorporation of AMP into packaging material for large scale production is challenging.

The release of AMP can be calculated qualitatively and quantitative both.

In section 5, the sentence concerning Hermetia illucens (Hermetia illucens are present ubiquitiously for AMP isolation), please check spelling and grammar. Additionally, this information should be included in the introduction, since it is the first time the authors refer to this insect. 

Reply: I have made these corrections in the manuscript.