POLYUNSATURATED FATTY ACID CONTENT OF EDIBLE INSECTS IN THAILAND

Abstract

ABSTRACT Total lipid content and polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) composition of six species of insects (mole cricket, ground cricket, spur‐throated grasshopper, giant water bug, true water beetle and water scavenger beetle) were determined. The total PUFA ranged from 726 mg/100 g in water scavenger beetle to 2883 mg/100 g in ground cricket; 18:2n‐6 was the major PUFA in most insects, except in spur‐throated grasshopper where the predominant PUFA was 18:3n‐3. The C20 PUFA, 20:4n‐6 and 20:5n‐3 were only found in aquicolous species, 149 and 57 mg/100 g in water scavenger beetle, 233 and 92 mg/100 g in true water beetle, and 569 and 264 mg/100 g in giant water bug, respectively. Total monounsaturated fatty acid (MUFA) content ranged from 714 mg/100 g in water scavenger beetle to 5889 mg/100 g in giant water bug; total saturated fatty acid (SFA) content ranged from 653 mg/100 g in water scavenger beetle to 5432 mg/100 g in giant water bug. The major MUFA in all insects was 18:1 and predominant SFA was 16:0. Results also showed the ratios of n‐6/n‐3 ranged from 0.3 in spur‐throated grasshopper to 31 in mole cricket. The aquicolous edible insects may be an alternative source of C20 long‐chain PUFA.