Common edible insects in Africa of therapeutic value - A review of their nutritional composition and their entomoceuticals values

Abstract

Entomotherapy is fast becoming popular based on the ubiquitous nature of insects. The use of insects in whole form or their derived products is gaining ground worldwide. Insects being ubiquitous makes their extracts easily available for use. Just as therapeutic agents, entomoceuticals, which are derived from pharmaceutical products from insects, play an important role in health improvement. Edible insects have been shown to be important sources for most entomoceuticals. Some species of these insects possess systems capable of generating numerous bioactive components and metabolites, which have major value in the pharmaceutical industry. Although these insects are found in almost all continents of the world, including continents like Europe and Asia, often using them in medicine, less attention has been focused on their use in therapy in most parts of Africa. In this paper, ten edible insects commonly consumed in Africa (African Palm weevil, Cockroaches, Black ants, Termites, Ground beetles, Grasshopper, Black soldier fly, Honeybees, Mole crickets and caterpillars) were selected and evaluated for their chemical and nutritional composition, including their therapeutic benefits. The review comprises a literature search on medicinal insects generated from the Web of Science and Google Scholar databases. Knowledge of these insects will help sensitise communities in Africa to their importance in their rearing for food and exploitation in the field of medicine, which will serve as an easier means of combatting disease plaguing Africa.