With a growing world population and increasingly demanding consumers, the production of sufficient protein from livestock, poultry, and fish represents a serious challenge for the future. ...Approximately 1,900 insect species are eaten worldwide, mainly in developing countries. They constitute quality food and feed, have high feed conversion ratios, and emit low levels of greenhouse gases. Some insect species can be grown on organic side streams, reducing environmental contamination and transforming waste into high-protein feed that can replace increasingly more expensive compound feed ingredients, such as fish meal. This requires the development of cost-effective, automated mass-rearing facilities that provide a reliable, stable, and safe product. In the tropics, sustainable harvesting needs to be assured and rearing practices promoted, and in general, the food resource needs to be revalorized. In the Western world, consumer acceptability will relate to pricing, perceived environmental benefits, and the development of tasty insect-derived protein products.
A new species, Orthorhynchus (Australobelus) dmitrii Legalov, sp. nov., from the tribe Belini of the subfamily Belinae is described and illustrated. It is distinguish from Orthorhynchus ...(Australobelus) villosus (Lea, 1917) in a more convex forehead, more delicately sculptured pronotum and elytra, sparse light hairs on the body forming a row of spots near the suture and several spots in the apical half of the side of the elytra, and also a short median longitudinal stripe on the pronotum in front of the scutellum, yellowish hairs forming a stripe on the sides of the pronotum and spots on the mesepisternum and mesepimeron, on the base and apex of the metepisternum and on the sides of the abdominal ventrites. This is the first record of the Orthorhynchus Kirby, 1819 from New Guinea. Distribution map for the subtribe Belina is given.
•Feed intake of broiler chicks decreased significantly with age in all the treatments.•Serum content of all the lipid metabolites evaluated were within the normal physiological ranges.•Low levels of ...triglycerides (TGL) was reported but high robusticity index was observed in this study.•Ca and P were low the femur, but Cu, Mn and Zn were high with increasing dietary inclusion levels of I. belina worm meal.
The effect of increasing dietary levels of Imbrasia belina worm meal on blood lipid profile, bone morphometric and mineral content in Arbor acres broiler chicks were assessed. A total of 360-day old chicks were randomly allocated to 4 dietary treatments, with each treatment group replicated 6 times (n = 15/replicate). The inclusion levels of the I. belina worm meal in the diets were 0 % (Treatment 1= control), 4 % (Treatment 2), 8 % (Treatment 3) and 12 % (Treatment 4). A 3-phase feeding program of starter (0−14d), grower (15−28d), and finisher (29−35d) was employed for the study. Total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TGL), high density lipoprotein (HDL), low density lipoprotein (LDL), bone morphometrics and mineral content were recorded at the end of study. There was no significant difference of total cholesterol (CHOL), high-density lipoprotein (HDL) and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) concentration in all the treatments. However, significant concentrations were observed in triglycerides (TGL) and T3 showed highest levels compared to other treatments, at 35 days of age. The dietary inclusion levels of Imbrasia belina had no effect on femur weight, width, relative bone density, and bone breaking strength. However, the significant difference was observed on femur length, robusticity index and ash percentage. Also, broiler chickens fed T1 (6.62 g/100 g, 15.23 g/100 g dry matter) had the highest femur Ca and P content. Femur Z content of broilers fed T4 (24.08 mg/100 g dry matter) was highest. The correlation analyses showed significant moderate relationships between ash and femur weight, but however significant positive relationships with calcium, magnesium, manganese and zinc. More so, the correlation between femur strength and calcium and phosphorous was significant positive with a higher magnitude. The result of this study suggests that I. belina meal up to 12 % can be effectively utilized in broiler diets without any adverse effect on and bone mineral properties.
In this study, edible insect flours from Gonimbrasia belina (Mashonzha), Hermetia illucens (black soldier fly larvae) and Macrotermes subhylanus (Madzhulu) were prepared and assessed in terms of ...proximal, physicochemical, techno-functional and antioxidant properties. The crude protein of the edible insect flours varied between 34.90−52.74%. The crude fat of the insect flours differed significantly (p < 0.05), with H. illucens (27.93%) having the highest crude fat. G. belina was lighter (L*) and yellower (+b*) compared to H. illucens and M. subhylanus, and there was no significant difference (p > 0.05) in the redness (+a*) of the edible insect flours. There were no significant differences (p > 0.05) in foam capacity and foam stability of all three edible insect flours. Moreover, the antioxidant activity against the DPPH radical was low for H. illucens (3.63%), with M. subhylanus (55.37%) exhibiting the highest DPPH radical. Principal component analysis (PCA) was applied to the techno-functional properties and antioxidant indices of the edible insect flours. PC1 accounted for 51.39% of the total variability, while component 2 accounted for 24.71%. In terms of PC1, the FS, OBC and FC were responsible for the major differences in the edible insect flours. The findings revealed that edible insect flours are a good source of antioxidants and can be used as an alternative protein source and a potential novel food additive due to their techno-functional qualities.
The promotion of edible insects, including saturniid caterpillars as potential food source is widely gaining momentum. They are adequately rich in nutrients such as proteins, amino acids, fatty ...acids, and micronutrients. Despite saturniids being a traditional food source with economic benefits, information on their diversity, host plants and their potential distribution in Africa are lacking, which this study seeks to address. Edible saturniids and their host plants were characterized using specific primers (LepF1/LepR1 and 3F_KIM_F/1R_KIM_R, respectively). Maximum entropy (MaxENT) and GARP (genetic algorithm for ruleset production) models were used to characterize the potential distribution of commonly consumed saturniids under current and future climate scenarios. Seven species of saturniids were recorded from 11 host plants in Kenya: Gonimbrasia zambesina, Gonimbrasia krucki, Bunaea alcinoe, Gonimbrasia cocaulti, Gonimbrasia belina, Gynanisa nigra and Cirina forda. Two morphotypes of G. zambesina and B. alcinoe were recorded. These saturniid caterpillars occur twice a year except for G. cocaulti. Predictive models revealed that tropical and subtropical regions were potentially suitable for B. alcinoe and C. forda. The information generated from this study would be important to guide conservation efforts and their sustainable utilization as food in Africa.
The effect of dietary graded inclusion levels of
Imbrasia belina
worm meal on meat chemical composition and fatty acid profile of broiler chicken meat was evaluated. A total of 360 chicks were ...randomly allocated to four dietary treatments, with each treatment group replicated 6 times (n = 15/replicate). The inclusion levels of the
I. belina
worm meal in the treatments were 0% control = T1, T2 = 4%, T3 = 8% and 12%. A three-phase feeding program of starter (0-14d), grower (15-28d), and finisher (29-35d) was employed for the study. The results showed that crude protein content of breast meat was higher (P < 0.05) in dietary treatments than control, whereas crude fat content of thigh meat was higher (P < 0.05) than in breast meat. The fatty acid composition of breast meat myristic and myristoleic acid levels were significantly reduced (P < 0.05) in treatment groups than the control, whereas the levels of linoleic acid, ⅀PUFA, ⅀PUFA/SFA, ⅀PUFA: MUFA, ⅀(n-6) in thigh meat decreased significantly (P < 0.05) in treatment groups than control. The ⅀(n-3) and atherogenic index in the thigh meat increased significantly (P < 0.05) with incremental levels of
I. belina
meal. In conclusion,
I. belina
meal improved the protein content of breast meat and reduced levels of some fatty acids.
(mopane worm) and
caterpillars (Lepidoptera: Saturniidae) are mostly found in shrubs and trees, from where they are collected as larvae and are widely consumed across southern Africa by rural and ...increasingly urban populations. These caterpillars are among the most prominent, traded, and economically beneficial edible insects found in Western African countries, but also in South Africa, Zimbabwe, Botswana, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Over the years, these caterpillars have evolved from being part of the diet in various communities to playing a vital role in income generation. In addition, consumption of
and
caterpillars as potential food sources has gained momentum due to their potential for contributing to livelihoods and mitigating food security challenges across Africa while providing significant benefits to developing countries on a socio-economic and ecological level. Edible caterpillars serve as a good source of rich nutrients such as proteins, fatty acids, and micronutrients and can be used in formulating nutrient-dense complementary foods. However, limited information is available, specifically on different trees that serve as hosts to these caterpillars, as they depend on the leaves as their only source of food. In addition, the review aims to critique and document knowledge on the nutritional benefits, acceptance of the use of these caterpillars as food security, commercial value, and level of acceptance towards the utilization of caterpillars as food sources.
Non-Timber Forest Products (NTFPs) have been identified as a key source of income for rural households. In South Africa, mopane worms (Imbrasia belina) have become an important source of food and ...cash income for rural people living in or near the mopane woodlands. However, the continued over-exploitation and commercialisation has implications for long term management of the mopane woodlands in the northern parts of South Africa. This study used a cross-sectional dataset collected from a survey of 120 households in Limpopo province in an effort to identify socio-economic factors influencing mopane worm commercialisation and intensity of commercialisation. The Household Commercialisation Index (HCI) and the Double Hurdle Model were used for the analysis. Result shows that about 63% of mopane worm harvested is sold within a production year which implies high level of commercialisation. The result of the Double Hurdle Model showed that gender, education, household size, quantity harvested, social capital, distance, transportation and information impact on households’ decision-making to commercialised mopane worm. Furthermore, household age, gender, education, exogenous income, price, quantity of marketable surplus, absence of institution/law and transportation are statistically significant factors influencing the intensity of mopane worm commercialisation in the study area. This therefore suggests that, in order to achieve a balance between sustainable harvesting of mopane worm and improving the livelihoods of the rural poor that depends on it for food and income, there is a need for policy makers to focus on the dynamics in household socio-economic conditions. Implications for policy were discussed.
•Commercialisation of mopane worm is valuable to rural people in Limpopo Province, South Africa•63% of mopane worm harvested is sold within a production year•Continued over exploitation and commercialisation has implication for resource management and conservation•Results shows that age, gender, education, exogenous income, price of mopane worm•Quantity of marketable surplus and transportation are factors impacting on intensity of commercialisation
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