Considerably large quotas of insect species worldwide are prospective sources of food with high nutrient value, which suggests their importance in human diets. This study investigates and compares the nutrient and anti-nutrient contents of
Oryctes rhinoceros
larva and
Zonocerus variegatus
. The nutrient and anti-nutrient compositions of both
Oryctes rhinoceros
larva (palm beetles) and
Zonocerus variegatus
(grasshopper) were determined following standard procedures. The proximate results revealed that
Oryctes rhinoceros
had higher amounts of crude protein (34.76 ± 0.44%) and carbohydrate (10.37 ± 1.73%) compared to those in
Zonocerus variegatus
((30.73 ± 1.15%) and (5.36 ± 2.15%) respectively), while crude lipid (20.00 ± 0.00%) was higher in
Zonocerus variegatus
. Rich mineral components were also obtained in both insects. Potassium and sodium (1905.01 ± 185.01 mg/100g and 1656.00 ± 46.00 mg/100g) were moderately high in
Zonocerus variegatus
compared to
Oryctes rhinoceros
(1070.00 ± 260.00 mg/100g and 931.50 ± 11.50 mg/100g), while calcium (368.00 ± 16.00 mg/100g) was comparably higher in
Oryctes rhinoceros
. The anti-nutrient values of both insects fall within tolerable levels, and subsequently pose no threat to life, indicating that these insects are good sources of several macro and micronutrients.
Oryctes rhinoceros
, however, may likely serve as a better source of nutrients, considering its more valuable contents of macromolecules.
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