Record Details

Nutritional and antinutritional composition of the five species of aquatic edible insects consumed in Manipur, India
IR @ Institute of Bioresources and Sustainable Development
Title
Nutritional and antinutritional composition of the five species of aquatic edible insects consumed in Manipur, India
Creator
Shantibala, T. Lokeshwari, R. K. Debaraj, H.
Description
The people living in Manipur have a distinct identity, culture, and food habits. They have a prototype culture of eating insects. In our study, the nutritive contents of five potentially-edible aquatic insects, Lethocerus indicus (Lepeletier and Serville) (Hemiptera: Belostomatidae), Laccotrephes maculatus (F.), Hydrophilus olivaceous (F.) (Coleoptera: Dytiscidae), Cybister tripunctatus (Olivier), and Crocothemes servilia (Drury) (Odonata: Libellulidae), were analyzed to inform consumers about the nutritional quality of the insects and the suggested quantity of their intake. A good amount of protein content and high gross energy was recorded among the insects. The results showed high levels of sodium, calcium, and magnesium present in the insects, indicating that they are a good source of minerals. Antinutritional properties of these insects were below 0.52%, which is a non-toxic level. Aquatic insects, such as C. tripunctatus, also possesses strong antioxidant activity (110 mu g/mL). Therefore, these insects can play a major role in food security, health, and environment management. It is essential to cultivate edible insects to maintain their population sustainability.
Publisher
Date
2014
Type
Article PeerReviewed
Identifier
Shantibala, T. and Lokeshwari, R. K. and Debaraj, H. (2014) Nutritional and antinutritional composition of the five species of aquatic edible insects consumed in Manipur, India. Journal of Insect Science, 14 (14).
Language