Complementary foods must be adequate to satisfy the nutritional needs of the growing child together with breastfeeding. This study was aimed at evaluating the nutritional composition, microbial safety, and sensory quality of extruded complementary foods developed from blends of staple grains and insect bee larva (Apis mellifera). Teff, maize, soybean, and bee larva samples were milled to flour and blended before extrusion as follows: ComF01 (57% maize, 29% teff, and 14% soybean) and ComF02 (58% maize, 29% teff, and 13% bee larvae) using NutriSurvey software (version, 2007). Nutrient composition, microbial, and sensory analyses of developed flour blends were conducted using standard methods. The proximate composition of moisture, fat, fiber, carbohydrate, and energy was significantly different between the developed and commercial wean-mix foods. ComF02 recorded the highest fat content (14.3 g/100 g), energy (427.18 kcal/100 g), and vitamins A (706 μg/100 g), B3 (8.2 mg/100 g), and B9 (86.7 mg/100 g) while ComF01 had the highest protein content (12.56 g/100 g). Iron (40.94 mg/100 g) and calcium (68.20 mg/100 g) were the minerals with the highest content in ComF02. Both ComF01 and ComF02 met the recommended dietary allowance of nutrients for infants aged 6-12 months. Overall, the present study showed that bee larvae can be used to develop complementary foods that are nutritionally adequate, microbiologically safe, and sensory acceptable meeting the dietary allowance of infants at an acceptable level compared to conventional cereal-based foods.

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Background. Cardiovascular disease is the cause of one-third of deaths worldwide because of increased risk factors, such as intake of cholesterol and saturated fat. Atherosclerosis begins in childhood; therefore, nutritional prevention should begin at an early stage. This study assessed the lipid profile, atherogenic, and castill’s risk index intake of Apis melifera-based complementary foods using an in vivo mouse model. Methods. The experiment was conducted for 28 days. A total of 75 male white albino mice were randomly assigned to five diets in triplicate. The diets were Diet 1 = casein diet; Diet 2 = (57% maize, 29% teff, 14% soybean); Diet 3 = (58% maize, 29% teff, 13% bee larvae); Diet 4 = commercial wean mix; Diet 5 = basal diet alone. Mouse blood samples were collected by cardiac puncture. The lipid profiles of TC, TG, HDL-C, and LDL-C were analysed using an automated pentra C400 made in France. Results. Biochemical (mg/dl) parameters showed that mice fed Diet 3 had high ( P  ≤ 0.001), TG (167.79), HDL-C (67.18), and low LDL-C (71.73) levels. The atherogenic indices CRI-I (1.84), CRI-II (1.07), and AC (0.84) were low in Diet 3. The atherogenicity indices showed a significant positive correlation ( P  ≤ 0.001) with one another as follows: CRI-I vs. CRI-II (r = 0.919), CRI-I vs. AC (r = 1), and CRI-II vs. AC (r = 0.919). Conclusion. The results of the present investigation confirm that intake of an Apis mellifera-based diet could prevent children from atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease in a mouse model.

Background- Cardiovascular disease is the cause of one-third of deaths worldwide and this status is likely to progress because of increasing CVD's risk factors like intake of cholesterol and saturated fat. There is no clear evidence that a poor diet in childhood is associated with CVD risk factor development and adverse vascular health in adulthood. Hence, it is important to look at the effects of complementary foods. Therefore, this study assessed the cardioprotective effects of insect bee larvae (Apis Melifera) based complementary foods in young white albino miceMethods- The experiment was conducted using a randomized control design. Data were analyzed using IBM SPSS version 23. A total of Seventy-five male white Albino mice were randomly assigned to five diets in triplicate. The diets were Diet 1= Casein diet; Diet 2= (57% Maize, 29% Teff, 14% Soybean); Diet 3= (58% Maize, 29% Teff, 13% Bee larvae); Diet 4=Commercial wean mix; and Diet 5= Basal diet alone. The study was conducted for 28 days with seven days of acclimatization. Diet and water were given ad libitum. The mice blood sample was collected from a cardiac puncture. Lipid profiles of TC, TG, HDL-C and LDL-C evaluations were analyzed using automated pentra C400 made in France. Results- The results showed a statistically significant difference (P<0.001) of lipid profiles between treatments. Biochemical (mg/dl) parameters showed Diet 3 were recorded high TG (167.79) and HDL-C (67.18) and low in LDL-C (71.73). Atherogenic indices of Diet 3 were low in CRI-I (1.84), CRI-II (1.07), and AC (0.84). LDL-C levels were positively correlated with all atherogenic indices, while HDL-C levels were negatively correlated. Atherogenicity indices showed significant positive associations (P<0.001) with one another; CRI-I vs CRI-II (r=0.919), CRI-I vs AC (r=1), CRI-II vs AC (r= 0.919). Nevertheless, AIP was positively correlated with CRI-I, CRI-II, and AC, however, this was not statistically significant (P>0.05). Conclusions- Intake of insect bee larvae-based diet could have the potential to protect from atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease in infants and young children. However, further studies on the adverse effects of the developed complementary foods on clinical and histopathological trials should be conducted.

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