IIARD International Institute of Academic Research and Development

JOURNAL OF BIOLOGY AND GENETIC RESEARCH (JBGR )

E-ISSN 2545-5710
P-ISSN 2695-222X
VOL. 8 NO. 1 2022

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Comparative Study on Fatty Acid Profiles of Selected Edible Insects and Animals in Africa: A Review

Thomas C. N., Kiin-Kabari D. B

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Abstract

The quality of fats of eight (8) edible insects: Crickets (CK), Grasshoppers (GH), African palm weevil larvae (APWL) (Rhynchophorus phoenicis), Caterpillars of Imbrasia spp. (CIS), Soldier termite (ST) (Macrotermes bellicosus), Longhorned beetle larvae(LHBL) (Apomecyna parumpunctata), Palm beetle larvae (PBL) (Oryctes monoceros) and Compost beetle larvae (CBL) (O. boas) were evaluated by collating their fatty acid profiles and compared with fats from four (4) conventional animal sources (beef, pork, poultry and fish. Results showed that crickets had the highest quality of fats with higher Ps value of 105.75 having greater proportion of healthy polyunsaturated fatty acids: linoleic acid (45.63%) omega-6, linolenic acid (16%) omega-3 which combined with lower amount of myristic acid (0.5%) SFA. R. phoenicis had average fat conent (61.74%) with lower Ps value of 16.70, high amount of linoleic acid (45.46%) and lower amount of linolenic acid (4.19%) which combined with small proportion of saturated fatty acid (3.05%) to produce Ps value of 16.70. Grasshoppers have lower average fat content (6.44%) with linoleic acid (21.07%) plus two isomers of linolenic acid: ?- linoleic acid (22.5%) and ?-linolenic acid (14.76%), without saturated fatty acid, having Ps-value of 58.37. Caterpillars of Imbrasia spp had Ps value of 5.33 contained low palmitic acid (8.42%) SFA, possessed high amount of polyunsaturated fatty acids (44.89%) which consisted of linoleic acid (6.88%) omega-6 and - linolenic acid (38.01%) omega-3. Apomecyna parumpunctata larvae, M. bellicosus Orcytes monoceros and compost beetle (O. boas) contained higher amount of saturated fatty acids (SFA) ranged between 30.91 - 57.04% and lower amount of polyunsaturated fatty acids ranged between 0.85% - 13.3% with lower Ps values of 0.43, 0.35, 0.108 and 0.016, respectively. The crickets, grasshoppers, R. phoenicis larvae and caterpillars of Imbrassia spp. provided higher quality of fats than beef, pork

keywords:

fatty acids, Ps value, edible insects and animal

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