Nutrient and anti-nutrient composition of Henicus whellani (Orthoptera: Stenopelmatidae), an edible ground cricket, in south-eastern Zimbabwe

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate nutritional and phytochemical composition of Henicus whellani Chopard, a seasonally occurring ground-dwelling cricket consumed in south-eastern Zimbabwe. Insects were sampled from four quadrants (approximately 100m2) in one representative site (approximately 3000m2) in Bikita District, and were hand-picked or dug out from burrows in a manner similar to traditional insect-harvesting practices. Proximate composition using whole-dried insects and bioactive components using dried pulverized material were analysed using standard procedures. The proportional nutrient composition was 53.6% crude protein, 4.3% fat, 13.4% ash, 10.6% crude fibre, 4.0% carbohydrate and 268.3 kcal/100 g energy. Phenolics, tannins, alkaloids, cyanogenic glycosides, oxalates, saponins and flavonoids were present in the extracts of insects. The quantities of saponins (53.3 mg/g) and alkaloids (52.3 mg/g) were higher than those of other phytochemicals, with the quantity of tannins (0.168 mg/g) being the lowest. Radical-scavenging capacity determined using di(phenyl)-(2,4, 6-trinitrophenyl)iminoazanium (or 2,2-diphenylpicrylhydrazyl) and methanol extracts was 42%, which is lower than those of the standards. This study shows that H. whellani provides potential nutritional benefits in terms of protein, fibre and flavonoid contents. The relatively high ash content compared with that from other edible insects indicates a rich source of minerals such as calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus and potassium. However, the presence of saponins, oxalates and tannins could be a limitation and requires further studies. There is a need to evaluate the bioaccessibility of the nutrients and the safety of bioactive compounds in relation to human consumption.