Nutritional characterization of fatty acids and minerals in Brachystola magna (Girard) during their development

Abstract

Due to the growing demand for food sources, it is increasingly common to opt for entomophagy, in addition to contributing to the control of grasshopper Brachystola magna (Girard) insect considered a harmful pest for agriculture in the regions where it lives. In this study, a nutritional characterization on the grasshopper B. magna in four different stages of its biological cycle (egg, nymph 3, nymph 4 and adult) was performed. In the adult stage, values of protein and lipid content of 64.7 and 8.2%, respectively, were obtained through proximal chemical analysis. For the determination of fatty acids and minerals the techniques of gas chromatography and atomic absorption spectroscopy were used. The results of fatty acids and minerals indicated a high content of both, unsaturated fatty acids of eighteen carbons, especially oleic, and the minerals K⁺¹, Mg⁺² and Ca⁺² with a relatively low presence of Na⁺¹ due to its peculiar source of feed (bean). The results suggest that Brachystola magna (Girard) could be a potential source of consumption for healthy people and people with specific needs (people with cardiovascular problems of high protein requirements, such as caloric-protein malnutrition and bodybuilding).