Nutritional Composition of Some Commonly Available Aquatic Edible Insects of Assam, India

Abstract

The nutritive value of five edible aquatic insects of Assam—Hemipterans; water bug (Diplonychus rusticus Fabricius) family belostomatidae; giant water bug (Lethocerus indicus Lepeletier and Serville) family belostomatidae; water scorpion (Laccotrephes sp.) family nepidae, water stick (Ranatra sp.) family nepidae; Coleopterans diving beetle (Cybister sp.) family dytiscidae—based on their proximate and elemental composition, antioxidant and antinutritional properties were assessed by using standard methods of analysis. Analytical studies revealed that the selected aquatic insect species have high nutritive value and are rich sources of protein (50.03 to 57.67%) and other nutrients (fat, carbohydrate and crude fiber, etc.) along with superior energy contents (331.98 to 506.38 kJ/100 g). The aquatic insect species also contained appreciable amounts of major and trace dietary elements. Phenol and flavonoid contents reflect its high antioxidant activity (80.82 to 91.47% DPPH inhibition). Tannin (18.50 to 60.76 mg tannic acid equivalent/100 g), phytic acid (11.72 to 97.30 mg/100 g) and oxalic acid (2.93 to 5.34 mg/100 g) as antinutritional compounds were registered below the toxic level (0.52% or 520 mg/100 g). The present findings indicate that the selected aquatic insect species can be considered as ideal candidates for exploration as food and feed to ensure nutritional and livelihood security of this region.

Potential of Insect Life Stages as Functional Ingredients for Improved Nutrition and Health

“…These findings reveal that these insects are rich sources of essential minerals, however, GC stands out as a better source, which may be because it has a wide range of food sources available for its ingestion in the wild. The mineral levels detected in this study were consistent with the results of other studies in the literature on edible insects [ 22 , 49 , 50 , 51 , 52 , 53 ]. Moreover, the obtained mineral levels were comparable or even superior to most products of animal origin [ 39 , 54 ].…”

“…The considerable levels of ash in the studied insects are indicative that they may be a good source of minerals and therefore their inclusion in processed food products has the potential to enrich their mineral content [ 54 ]. The crude fiber content was consistent with previous outcomes, in which most edible insect species had a crude fiber content within the desired range [ 50 , 52 , 75 , 76 ]. Insect fiber is mainly made up of protein and considerable amounts of chitin.…”

“…The moisture content of the powders was less than 15%, which is vital as it reduces the threat of microbial contamination, thus increasing the preservation period. Previous studies have observed a similar trend in moisture content in various edible insect species [ 50 , 68 ]. In contrast to the current findings, a higher moisture content has been reported in other edible insects, which could be due to factors such as geographical location and habitat [ 54 , 62 ].…”

“…The three insects exhibited different accumulation patterns of minerals ( Figure 2 ), which is primarily attributable to seasonal, geographic and ecological factors as the minerals are not synthesized in the insect body but rather obtained from the dietary sources [ 49 , 50 , 51 ].…”

Nutritional properties of giant water bug, Lethocerus indicus a traditional edible insect species of North-East India

“…The volatile compounds found in L. indicus are employed as a component in the manufacture of lubricants, emulsifiers, solvents, rubber surfactants, paints, coatings, household detergents, and products for the food, cosmetics, and pharmaceutical industries [ 22 , 23 ]. The chemical 1-Hexyl-2-nitrocyclohexane, which has neuroactive, anti-inflammatory, and analgesic properties, is also present in both male and female insects [ 22 , 23 ].…”