Nutritional valuse of edible coleoptera (Tenebrio molitor, Zophobas morio and Alphitobius diaperinus) reared reared in the Czech Republic

Anna Adámková,Lenka Kouřimská,Marie Borkovcová,Jiří­ Mlček,Martin Kulma

doi:10.5219/609

Abstract

Edible insects have gained the status of highly nutritious food with high protein and fat content. However, nutritional value of insects is not constant. It could be affected by species, developmental stage, rearing technology, nutrition or sex. This study's goal is to determine the protein and fat contents of three edible beetle species (giant mealworm - larvae of Zophobas morio, mealworm - larvae of Tenebrio molitor and, lesser mealworm - larvae of Alphitobius diaperinus) bred in the Czech Republic. Based on the obtained results, all investigated species could be considered as a reasonable source of lipids and two of them (mealworm and lesser mealworm) are also an excellent source of protein. Crude protein content of mealworm (630 g. kg-1 DM) was found to be higher than in other studies. The investigated species of lesser mealworm contained 600 g of crude protein/kg DM, which was equal to the results of other authors. Most authors report a higher content of nitrogen in the giant mealworm than were the values measured by this experiment (390 g.kg-1 DM). The lipid content in the tested samples was found in a range of 170 - 390 g.kg-1 DM. The highest lipid content was found in the larvae of giant mealworm and the lowest lipid content was found in the larvae of mealworm. The determined fat content of lesser mealworms was 290 g.kg-1. The fatty acid profiles of all samples were also determined.

Highlights

Edible insects form a common part of the human diet in many parts of the world
Edible insects are seen as an interesting alternative source of proteins and lipids (Zielińska et al, 2015)
Edible insects may serve as a potential animal protein source because of its better digestibility and utilization than vegetable protein (Hoffman and Falvo, 2004)

Summary

Introduction

Edible insects form a common part of the human diet in many parts of the world (van Huis et al, 2013; Vantomme et al, 2012). Edible insects are seen as an interesting alternative source of proteins and lipids (Zielińska et al, 2015). They are believed to be an ideal option for the space agriculture (Katayama et al, 2008). Edible insects may serve as a potential animal protein source because of its better digestibility and utilization than vegetable protein (Hoffman and Falvo, 2004). They could help the children suffering from malnutrition (Brázdová, 2011)

Methods

Results

Conclusion