Nutritional composition of Chondacris rosea and Brachytrupes orientalis: Two common insects used as food by tribes of Arunachal Pradesh, India

The nutritional potential of short-horned grasshopper, Chondacris rosea (Acrididae) and mole cricket, Brachytrupes orientalis (Gryllidae), two common species of Orthoptera used as food by tribal people of Arunachal Pradesh (NE India), was assessed. Crosea and B. orientalis contain 68.88 and 65.74% crude protein, 7.88 and 6.33% fat, 12.38 and 8.75% crude fiber, 4.16 and 4.33% ash, and 6.69% and 15.18% carbohydrate, respectively. The protein in both species is composed of 18 amino acids, including all of the essential ones, which except for methionine, satisfy (scores > 100) the recommended dose suggested by FAO/WHO/UNU. The predominant fatty acids in C. rosea were: palmitic, stearic, oleic, linolenic and linoleic acid viz. 17.2, 12.4, 21, 24.5 and 16.4%, respectively. In B. orientalis palmitic (50.3%) and stearic acids (32%) were dominating. Mineral content was generally higher than that of conventional meat types. B. orientalis fulfilled the RDA (88-109%) for Fe and both species fulfilled the RDA for Zn (70 to 108%) and Cu (> 100%). Based on 100 g of fresh insects the calorific values of C. rosea and B. orientalis were 373.24 and 380.65% kcal. We conclude that these insects can be recommended as a replacement of vertebrate animal food items as and when required. (C) 2014 Korean Society of Applied Entomology, Taiwan Entomological Society and Malaysian Plant Protection Society. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.