Weight changes and organ pathology in rats given edible larvae of <I>Cirina Forda</I> (Westwood)

Abstract

The effects of oral administration of extracts of raw and processed larvae of Cirina forda (Westwood) on morphometry and histo pathology were studied in albino rats. Weights of rats in the control group and in the group that were fed the processed larvae were significantly higher (p<0.05) than those of the group that received raw extract of the larvae. The relative weights of liver, heart, thyroid, pancreas and spleen were similar (p>0.05) in all the groups. The relative weight of lungs was significantly higher (p<0.05) in the control group of rats and the group that received the processed larvae than in the group given the raw larvae. Also, the relative weights of the kidneys in the rats that received the processed extract and the raw extract were similar but significantly higher (p<0.05) than the relative weight of kidney in the control group. Histopathological changes observed in the tissues of rats given the raw extract of the larvae include hepatocellular degeneration and necrosis, bile duct hyperplasia, congestion and tubular degeneration in the kidney and hyaline degeneration of myocardial fibres. The lung showed pulmonary congestion, thickened interalveolar septa, thick perivascular lymphocytic cuffs, and thickened and hyalinized tunica media of arterioles. The histopathological changes observed in the organs of the rats suggest that the raw larva of Cirina forda (Westwood) was toxic and produced a vascular circulatory disturbance resulting in organ damage in the animals. Processing the larvae by boiling and sun-drying reduced the toxicity on the liver and heart but not in the kidney. More research is needed on the toxicological aspects of the consumption of Cirina forda larva.

Postharvest processes of edible insects in Africa: A review of processing methods, and the implications for nutrition, safety and new products development

“…Nigeria, Akinnawo et al (2002Akinnawo et al ( , 2005 showed that boiling and sun-drying of C. forda larvae reduced heart and liver toxicity in albino rats, while thorough heat treatment of Anaphe venata pupae was claimed to deactivate thiaminase activity (Nishimune et al 2000). There remains, however, a need to understand the inherent properties that confer on insects the ability to cause intoxication, the respective tolerance levels, and how processing may help in detoxification.…”

Nutritional aspects of an edible insect, Coridius sp. (Hemiptera: Dinidoridae) of Manipur

“…18 The high crude fibre content in the insects could be due to the chitin normally found in insects. 2 Chitin is a structural nitrogen-based carbohydrate found in the exoskeleton of insects, which may have 'anti-nutrient' properties due to potential negative effects on protein digestibility. 5 A study comparing dried honey bees and honey bee protein concluded that the removal of chitin improved the quality of the insect protein as measured through protein digestibility, amino acid content, protein efficiency ratio and net protein utilisation.…”

Urban Sustainability in Unconventional Food, Case of Edible Insects in Kinshasa: Diversity and Entomophagy

“…The availability of caterpillars is seasonal, and their supply and marketing have attracted the attention of several researchers. The cities of Ibadan [36,37], Abidjan [38], Yaoundé [39], Lubumbashi [40,41], Harare [42], Brazzaville [43], Kisangani [20], Bangui [44], Ilorin [45], Ndola [46], Kikwit [47], are good examples. These results support the findings of this study, which show that edible insect supply areas in urban areas (in the case of Kinshasa) are predominantly the nearby forest localities and a small proportion in the peripheries of these cities.…”