Habitats and nutritional composition of selected edible insects in Zimbabwe

2016 ◽  
Vol 2 (3) ◽  
pp. 189-198 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. Musundire ◽  
C.J. Zvidzai ◽  
C. Chidewe ◽  
B.K. Samende ◽  
A. Chemura
Keyword(s):  
Host Plants ◽  
Sustainable Use ◽  
Nutritional Composition ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Food Sources ◽  
Household Food Security ◽  
Edible Insects ◽  
Animal Products ◽  
Sub Saharan ◽  
Insects As Food

Edible insects are gaining recognition as food with potential of contributing to attainment of household food security. In sub-Saharan Africa, sustainable use of insects as food is threatened by lack of data on host plants and habitatassociations. In addition, lack of nutritional data on most edible insects reduces consumer confidence and limits integration of insect consumption with other food sources. This study was undertaken to review, collate and assembledispersed information of some edible insects of Zimbabwe. Data on species identities, host plants and habitats weregathered for 14 species from reputable literature sources and Bulawayo Natural History Museum records. In addition, nutritional assessments were carried out on 10 widely consumed insects in Zimbabwe. Standard ecological samplingprocedures were used to collect insect specimens. Proximate analyses were conducted following the Association of Official Analytical Chemists standard procedures using dried pulverised material. Majority (60%) of reviewedinsects had reliable host plants and habitats records. More than half of these were recorded in agro-ecosystems. On dry matter basis, protein content ranged from 22%(Gryllotalpa africana) to 55.4% (Gonimbrasia belina); fat content ranged from 10.8% (G. africana) to 41.6% (Macrotermes natalensis). Ash content was >10% in the ground dwelling G. africana (12.6%) and Eulopida mashona larvae (10.9%). Wide species differences were recorded for carbohydrate content; 0.4% in M. natalensis and 47.2% in G. africana. Carbohydrates content was inversely relatedto protein and fat contents for all insects. Energy and fat contents were positively related in all the insects. Overall, insect species from this study have high proximate constituents that can match plant and animal products diets andcan be considered as potential viable alternative nutritious food sources. Findings from this study are expected to promote greater recognition of insects as food in Zimbabwe and encourage up-scaling of their sustainable utilisation.

scholarly journals Fermented Edible Insects for Promoting Food Security in Africa

Insects ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (5) ◽  
pp. 283 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yusuf Olamide Kewuyemi ◽  
Hema Kesa ◽  
Chiemela Enyinnaya Chinma ◽  
Oluwafemi Ayodeji Adebo
Keyword(s):  
Food Security ◽  
Value Added ◽  
Nutritional Composition ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Fermented Foods ◽  
Edible Insects ◽  
Edible Insect ◽  
Product Acceptability ◽  
Therapeutic Properties ◽  
Sub Saharan

Efforts to attain sustainable nutritional diets in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) are still below par. The continent is envisaged to face more impending food crises. This review presents an overview of common edible insects in Africa, their nutritional composition, health benefits and utilization in connection with fermentation to enrich the inherent composition of insect-based products and offer foods related to existing and generally preferred culinary practice. Attempts to explore fermentation treatments involving insects showed fermentation affected secondary metabolites to induce antimicrobial, nutritional and therapeutic properties. Available value-added fermented edible insect products like paste, powder, sauces, and insect containing fermented foods have been developed with potential for more. Novel fermented edible insect-based products could effectively fit in the continent’s food mix and therefore mitigate ongoing food insecurity, as well as to balance nutrition with health risk concerns limiting edible insects’ product acceptability in SSA.

scholarly journals Jatropha Curcas Development as Intervention Potential to Tackling Land, Energy and Food Challenges of Rural Communities in Dryland Sub-Saharan Africa

Proceedings ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 36 (1) ◽  
pp. 85
Author(s):  
Joshua Ogunwole ◽  
Gunnar Kirchhof ◽  
Birhanu Z. Birhanu ◽  
Sjoerd Duiker ◽  
Luiz F. Pires
Keyword(s):  
Rural Communities ◽  
Jatropha Curcas ◽  
Energy Requirement ◽  
Sustainable Use ◽  
Holistic Approach ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Household Food Security ◽  
Dry Land ◽  
Sub Saharan ◽  
The Impact

Global population growth is placing increasing pressures on land for food and feed production as well as energy security. In particular in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), these issues require urgent attention. This is clearly stated in The United Nations Global Goals for Sustainable Development emphasizing the importance of sustainable use of land resources to increase food productivity and energy requirement. SSA lags behind most regions of the world in household food security and access to energy. The rural agriculture-dependent communities of SSA are the hardest hit by food and energy scarcity and the impact is felt most by communities in the dryland farming areas. In terms of energy supply appropriate measures and interventions are required to address this challenge. Jatropha curcas L. oil fast tracked itself from obscurity to prominence. Its main advantage is the high content of methyl ester (or bio-diesel). It conforms to EN 14214 specifications, exhibiting emission reduction potential and qualifying as a lucrative bio-diesel alternative to fossil diesel. This paper proposes a focus on Jatropha technology as a holistic approach to tackling the land, energy and food degradation challenges in unison for dry-land SSA. The new Jatropha strategy would be innovative and environmentally friendly soil resource recapitalization and supply feed stock for rural energy generation while fulfilling the criteria of delivering other benefits, such as addressing land use conflict for food and energy production

scholarly journals Stewardship of Wild and Farmed Edible Insects as Food and Feed in Sub-Saharan Africa: A Perspective

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert Musundire ◽  
Dianah Ngonyama ◽  
Abel Chemura ◽  
Ruth Tambudzai Ngadze ◽  
Jose Jackson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Animal Feed ◽  
High Energy ◽  
Scientific Data ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Edible Insects ◽  
African Countries ◽  
Research Technology ◽  
Food And Feed ◽  
Sub Saharan ◽  
Insects As Food

Edible insects have gained popularity as alternative food resources in the face of climate change and increasing carbon and environmental footprints associated with conventional agricultural production. Among the positive attributes that make edible insects suitable as food and feed substrates include rapid reproduction, high energy conversion efficiency, wide distribution, diversity, reduced greenhouses gases and ammonia emissions, possibility to reduce waste and high nutritional composition. In Sub-Saharan Africa, considerable scientific data exist on use of insects as food and livestock feed. However, coherent policies regarding safety, sustainability, trade and regulation of insects as food and animal feed are lacking. The benefits associated with edible insects are likely to accrue in Sub-Saharan Africa through use of a combination of approaches such as ensured sustainable utilization of edible insects in the wild, preservation of traditional conservation, harvesting and consumption practices, development of captive mass production schemes and strengthening robust value chains to incentivise indigenous participants. Collectively these approaches are referred to as the steward and use of insects as food and animal feed. This paper examines the policy frameworks that exist to support the use of edible insects as food and feed on the African continent. This investigation employed a literature review focussing on national policies in selected African countries to assess the relevance to edible insects. Using a baseline of more than 10 edible insect species consumed, 10 country cases in Sub-Saharan Africa were used to support our in-depth examination of the policy situation that may support good stewardship of edible insects as food and feed. Focus on how policies encompassing biodiversity, natural resources, culture, education, research, technology development, trade, health and nutrition and how that could be improved to support inclusivity of edible insects is discussed. We conclude by proposing a pathway that may accelerate recognition and valorisation of edible insects as important food and feed resources in Sub-Saharan Africa including improving policies to support good stewardship of these resources for sustainability.

scholarly journals Assortments of Digestive Enzymes Induced in First Instar Larvae of Busseola fusca Feeding on Different Plants

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 ◽  
pp. 117954331984352 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gérald Juma ◽  
Bruno Le Ru ◽  
Paul-André Calatayud
Keyword(s):  
Plant Species ◽  
Digestive Enzymes ◽  
Host Plants ◽  
Feeding Habits ◽  
Busseola Fusca ◽  
Stem Borer ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Host Acceptance ◽  
First Instar ◽  
Sub Saharan

The stem borer Busseola fusca (Fuller) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) is an important pest of maize and sorghum in sub-Saharan Africa. This insect has oligophagous feeding habits, feeding mostly on maize and sorghum with a narrow range of wild Poaceous plant species. We hypothesised that first instar B. fusca larvae, the critical stage for successful establishment on a host plant, can establish and then grow on a particular plant as a result of induction of a complement of digestive enzymes that mediates host acceptance at first instars. A fast semi-quantitative analysis of potentially digestive enzymatic activities present in the first larvae previously fed for 4 days on leaves of host and non-host plants was performed using the API-ZYM kit system able to detect a multiplex of enzyme activities. Regardless of the plant species, the larvae exhibited higher activities of the carbohydrate metabolising enzymes than of aminopeptidases and proteases. In addition, highest activities of carbohydrates degrading enzymes were exhibited by larvae that consumed leaves of the most preferred plant species of B. fusca. Conversely, esterases were only detected in neonate larvae that consumed leaves of the less preferred and non-host plants. No alkaline phosphatase and lipase activities were detected. The significance of these results was discussed in terms of food requirements of first instar larvae when settling on a plant.

scholarly journals Sustainable use of organic resources for bioenergy, food and water provision in rural Sub-Saharan Africa

2015 ◽  
Vol 50 ◽  
pp. 903-917 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jo U. Smith ◽  
Anke Fischer ◽  
Paul D. Hallett ◽  
Hilary Y. Homans ◽  
Pete Smith ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Sustainable Use ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Sub Saharan ◽  
Water Provision ◽  
Organic Resources

scholarly journals Prevalence, Risk Factors, and Antimicrobial Resistance Profiles of Thermophilic Campylobacter Species in Humans and Animals in Sub-Saharan Africa: A Systematic Review

2020 ◽  
Vol 2020 ◽  
pp. 1-12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Noel Gahamanyi ◽  
Leonard E. G. Mboera ◽  
Mecky I. Matee ◽  
Dieudonné Mutangana ◽  
Erick V. G. Komba
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
Antimicrobial Resistance ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Campylobacter Coli ◽  
Livestock Waste ◽  
Animal Products ◽  
Under Five ◽  
Under Five Children ◽  
Country Level ◽  
Sub Saharan

Thermophilic Campylobacter species are clinically important aetiologies of gastroenteritis in humans throughout the world. The colonization of different animal reservoirs by Campylobacter poses an important risk for humans through shedding of the pathogen in livestock waste and contamination of water sources, environment, and food. A review of published articles was conducted to obtain information on the prevalence and antimicrobial resistance (AMR) profiles of thermophilic Campylobacter species in humans and animals in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Electronic databases, namely, PubMed, Google Scholar, Research4life-HINARI Health, and Researchgate.net, were searched using the following search terms “thermophilic Campylobacter,” “Campylobacter jejuni,” “Campylobacter coli,” “diarrhea/diarrhoea,” “antimicrobial resistance,” “antibiotic resistance,” “humans,” “animals,” “Sub-Saharan Africa,” and “a specific country name.” Initially, a total of 614 articles were identified, and the lists of references were screened in which 22 more articles were identified. After screening, 33 articles on humans and 34 on animals and animal products were included in this review. In humans, Nigeria reported the highest prevalence (62.7%), followed by Malawi (21%) and South Africa (20.3%). For Campylobacter infections in under-five children, Kenya reported 16.4%, followed by Rwanda (15.5%) and Ethiopia (14.5%). The country-level mean prevalence in all ages and under-five children was 18.6% and 9.4%, respectively. The prevalence ranged from 1.7%–62.7% in humans and 1.2%–80% in animals. The most reported species were C. jejuni and C. coli. The AMR to commonly used antimicrobials ranged from 0–100% in both humans and animals. Poultry consumption and drinking surface water were the main risk factors for campylobacteriosis. The present review provides evidence of thermophilic Campylobacter occurrence in humans and animals and high levels of AMR in SSA, emphasizing the need for strengthening both national and regional multisectoral antimicrobial resistance standard surveillance protocols to curb both the campylobacteriosis burden and increase of antimicrobial resistance in the region.

Mini Livestock Ranching

2017 ◽  
pp. 188-212
Author(s):  
Dimple Singh-Ackbarali ◽  
Rohanie Maharaj
Keyword(s):  
Value Added ◽  
Food Sources ◽  
Insect Species ◽  
Edible Insects ◽  
Protein Food ◽  
Small Areas ◽  
Edible Insect ◽  
Food And Feed ◽  
Insects As Food ◽  
Nutritional Profiles

The rising demand and cost of animal protein, food and feed insecurity, environmental and climatic challenges of livestock agriculture have made the option of insects as food sources a viable topic. This chapter presents existing information and research on edible insects, insect farms and value-added insect products and assesses insects as a potential source of food and feed. Mini livestock ranching where edible insect species are reared, can reduce some of the negative environmental effects of livestock agriculture as it will produce significantly less greenhouse gas emissions compared with traditional livestock and have similar nutritional profiles. Edible insect species also; have a much lower feed to meat ratio, require small areas of land and have an almost negligible water requirement. There is an untapped potential to increase access to this nutritious, climate-smart food via intensified semi-cultivation and raising insects in farming environments, developing value added products and also a potential for a significant source of income.

scholarly journals Mapping Obesogenic Food Environments in South Africa and Ghana: Correlations and Contradictions

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (14) ◽  
pp. 3924 ◽  
Author(s):  
Florian Kroll ◽  
Elizabeth Catherina Swart ◽  
Reginald Adjetey Annan ◽  
Anne Marie Thow ◽  
David Neves ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Food Consumption ◽  
Food Systems ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Food Sources ◽  
Income Poverty ◽  
Food Environments ◽  
Obesity Risk ◽  
Food Provision ◽  
Sub Saharan

In sub-Saharan Africa, urbanisation and food systems change contribute to rapid dietary transitions promoting obesity. It is unclear to what extent these changes are mediated by neighbourhood food environments or other factors. This paper correlates neighbourhood food provision with household consumption and poverty in Khayelitsha, South Africa and Ahodwo, Ghana. Georeferenced survey data of food consumption and provision were classified by obesity risk and protection. Outlets were mapped, and density and distribution correlated with risk classes. In Khayelitsha, 71% of households exceeded dietary obesity risk thresholds while 16% consumed protective diets. Obesogenic profiles were less (26%) and protective more prevalent (23%) in Ahodwo despite greater income poverty in Khayelitsha. Here, income-deprived households consumed significantly (p < 0.005) less obesogenic and protective diets. Small informal food outlets dominated numerically but supermarkets were key household food sources in Khayelitsha. Although density of food provision in Ahodwo was higher (76/km2), Khayelitsha outlets (61/km2) provided greater access to obesogenic (57% Khayelitsha; 39% Ahodwo) and protective (43% Khayelitsha; 16% Ahodwo) foods. Consumption and provision profiles correlate more strongly in Ahodwo than Khayelitsha (rKhayelitsha = 0.624; rAhodwo = 0.862). Higher obesogenic food consumption in Khayelitsha suggests that risky food environments and poverty together promote obesogenic diets.

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