Nutritional compositions of two edible insects: Oryctes rhinoceros larva and Zonocerus variegatus

Considerably large quotas of insect species worldwide are prospective sources of food with high nutrient value, which suggests their importance in human diets. This study investigates and compares the nutrient and anti-nutrient contents of Oryctes rhinoceros larva and Zonocerus variegatus. The nutrient and anti-nutrient compositions of both Oryctes rhinoceros larva (palm beetles) and Zonocerus variegatus (grasshopper) were determined following standard procedures. The proximate results revealed that Oryctes rhinoceros had higher amounts of crude protein (34.76 ± 0.44%) and carbohydrate (10.37 ± 1.73%) compared to those in Zonocerus variegatus ((30.73 ± 1.15%) and (5.36 ± 2.15%) respectively), while crude lipid (20.00 ± 0.00%) was higher in Zonocerus variegatus. Rich mineral components were also obtained in both insects. Potassium and sodium (1905.01 ± 185.01 mg/100g and 1656.00 ± 46.00 mg/100g) were moderately high in Zonocerus variegatus compared to Oryctes rhinoceros (1070.00 ± 260.00 mg/100g and 931.50 ± 11.50 mg/100g), while calcium (368.00 ± 16.00 mg/100g) was comparably higher in Oryctes rhinoceros. The anti-nutrient values of both insects fall within tolerable levels, and subsequently pose no threat to life, indicating that these insects are good sources of several macro and micronutrients. Oryctes rhinoceros, however, may likely serve as a better source of nutrients, considering its more valuable contents of macromolecules.