What question did this study set out to answer?

This study aims to investigate the ability of Galleria mellonella larvae to metabolize and biotransform acrylic resin waste.

May 26, 2026Open Access

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

ISIsadora Oliveira e SilvaUniversidade Federal de Ciências da Saúde de Porto Alegre APAndressa Fernandes PivatoUniversidade Federal de Ciências da Saúde de Porto Alegre CLCloé Dagnese LoredoUniversidade Federal de Ciências da Saúde de Porto Alegre

Key Points

This study aims to investigate the ability of Galleria mellonella larvae to metabolize and biotransform acrylic resin waste.
Galleria mellonella larvae were fed acrylic resin waste, beeswax, or laboratory diet for 3 days.
Chemical analyses were conducted using FTIR and GC-MS to assess metabolic changes and compound profiles in excretions.
Effects of starvation on metabolic processes were also evaluated.
Chemical signatures indicative of polymer biofragmentation were found in larvae feces and silk cocoons from those fed acrylic resin.
Increased levels of volatile and semi-volatile compounds, mainly long-chain hydrocarbons, were detected in larvae fed acrylic resin compared to controls.
Acrylic resin-fed and beeswax-fed larvae exhibited similar chemical profiles, suggesting a shared metabolic adaptation.

Abstract

Abstract 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.

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