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<p>Acrylic resins are thermoset polymers widely used in dentistry, whose accumulation as non-degradable waste raises environmental and public-health concerns. Biodegradation has emerged as a promising alternative for managing synthetic polymers, particularly using insect larvae capable of metabolizing hydrocarbon-rich substrates. In this sense, the lepidopteran <i>Galleria mellonella</i> is a noteworthy plastic biodegrader model given its reported ability to digest distinct types of polymers. This is a pioneer study that evaluates the consumption and biotransformation of acrylic resin from orthodontic waste by insect larvae. Groups of <i>G. mellonella</i> larvae were fed (i) acrylic resin waste, (ii) beeswax, or (iii) laboratory diet, for 3 days, while an additional group was maintained under starvation condition. FTIR analyses revealed chemical signatures indicative of the polymer biofragmentation process in excrements (feces and silk cocoon) from the acrylic resin-fed larvae, consistent with oxidative modification, ester cleavage, and chain scission. GC-MS profiling from salivary glands, gut, hemolymph, fat body and cuticle showed that feeding on acrylic resin increases volatile and semi-volatile compounds, mainly long-chain hydrocarbons, compared to the other groups. The occurrence of substances unique to resin-fed larvae and the identification of polymer additives, which indicate leaching and internal distribution, likely reflects polymer biofragmentation and/or metabolic transformation. Although some changes in compound levels were associated with starvation stress, acrylic resin- and beeswax-fed larvae displayed similar chemical profiles, pointing a shared adaptive metabolic response to digest these materials. This study provides the first experimental evidence that <i>G. mellonella</i> larvae can promote the biotransformation of acrylic resins, expanding the potential of waxworm larvae as a biological tool for managing complex plastic wastes.</p>

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Biotransformation of Acrylic Resin from Orthodontic Waste by the Larvae of the Insect Galleria mellonella

  • 期刊论文

  • 出版模式：

    开放获取

  • 发表日期：

    2026年5月24日

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  • Isadora Oliveira e Silva,
  • Andressa Fernandes Pivato,
  • Cloé Dagnese Loredo,
  • Giulia Berté,
  • Fernanda Bristot,
  • Maria Luísa Oliveira,
  • Gabriela Messias Miranda,
  • Rosane Angélica Ligabue,
  • Danielle Silva Trentin

摘要

Acrylic resins are thermoset polymers widely used in dentistry, whose accumulation as non-degradable waste raises environmental and public-health concerns. Biodegradation has emerged as a promising alternative for managing synthetic polymers, particularly using insect larvae capable of metabolizing hydrocarbon-rich substrates. In this sense, the lepidopteran Galleria mellonella is a noteworthy plastic biodegrader model given its reported ability to digest distinct types of polymers. This is a pioneer study that evaluates the consumption and biotransformation of acrylic resin from orthodontic waste by insect larvae. Groups of G. mellonella larvae were fed (i) acrylic resin waste, (ii) beeswax, or (iii) laboratory diet, for 3 days, while an additional group was maintained under starvation condition. FTIR analyses revealed chemical signatures indicative of the polymer biofragmentation process in excrements (feces and silk cocoon) from the acrylic resin-fed larvae, consistent with oxidative modification, ester cleavage, and chain scission. GC-MS profiling from salivary glands, gut, hemolymph, fat body and cuticle showed that feeding on acrylic resin increases volatile and semi-volatile compounds, mainly long-chain hydrocarbons, compared to the other groups. The occurrence of substances unique to resin-fed larvae and the identification of polymer additives, which indicate leaching and internal distribution, likely reflects polymer biofragmentation and/or metabolic transformation. Although some changes in compound levels were associated with starvation stress, acrylic resin- and beeswax-fed larvae displayed similar chemical profiles, pointing a shared adaptive metabolic response to digest these materials. This study provides the first experimental evidence that G. mellonella larvae can promote the biotransformation of acrylic resins, expanding the potential of waxworm larvae as a biological tool for managing complex plastic wastes.