Skip to main content

Large conehead grasshopper (Ruspolia nitidula) flour promises as alternative nutrition source

Large conehead grasshopper (Ruspolia nitidula) flour promises as alternative nutrition source

NEWS - There is growing interest in alternative protein sources including tasty insect dishes. The large conehead grasshopper (Ruspolia nitidula) shows promise as a sustainable source of nutrition as global population growth and traditional livestock production increasingly strain environmental resources.

Cameroon’s abundant grasshoppers provide nutrients such as protein, amino acids and minerals that are essential for health and growth. The ecological benefits and health benefits make insects a solution for food security and improving future diets

Ngnaniyyi Abdoul from the University of Dschang in Cameroon and team studied the effects of replacing Clupea harengus fishmeal with R. nitidula meal in the diet of mice. Over 12 weeks, the researchers evaluated how this dietary change affected libido, sleep, hair growth and overall health.

Replacing fishmeal with R. nitidula meal resulted in significant health improvements in mice. Libido was increased with increased intromission and ejaculation compared to mice fed fishmeal or a protein-deficient diet.

Sleep quality improved and was more restful. Hair quality was significantly superior with 94.58% of hair in optimal condition compared to only 5.55% and 0.27% in the fishmeal and protein-deficient groups, respectively. Mice also showed greater weight gain.

"We highlight the significant potential of insects such as R. nitidula as an alternative protein source. Grasshoppers meet nutritional needs and offer substantial health benefits, including increased libido, better sleep and better hair quality with broad implications for animal and human diets," said Abdoul.

R. nitidula, which occurs naturally in Africa, Europe and Asia, has the potential to be a sustainable and nutrient-rich alternative protein source for animal feed and could play a role in addressing human malnutrition, especially in resource-limited environments.

Original research

Abdoul N, Akwanjoh SR, Harding SN, et al. Nutritional and health benefits of Cameroonian grasshopper (Ruspolia nitidula) meal: effects on libido, sleep, hair growth and hunger in rats. Food Science of Animal Products, 2024, 2(2): 9240068, DOI:10.26599/FSAP.2024.9240068

Popular Posts

Redflower ragleaf (Crassocephalum crepidioides)

Sintrong or ebolo or thickhead or redflower ragleaf ( Crassocephalum crepidioides ) are plant species in Asteraceae, terma height 25-100 cm, white fibrous roots, generally grow wild on the roadside, yard gardens or abandoned lands at altitude 200- 2500 m. C. crepidioides has erect or horizontal stems along the soil surface, vascular, soft, non-woody, shallow grooves, green, rough surface and short white hair, aromatic fragrance when squeezed. Petiole is spread on stems, tubular and eared. Single leaf, spread out, green, 8-20 cm long, 3-6 cm wide, longitudinal or round inverted eggshell with a narrow base along the stalk. Pointed tip, flat-edged or curved to pinnate, jagged rough and pointed. The top leaves are smaller and often sit. Compound flowers grow throughout the year in humps that are arranged in terminal flat panicles and androgynous. Green cuffs with orange-brown to brick-red tips, cylindrical for 13-16 mm long and 5-6 mm wide. The crown is yellow with a brownish red...

Purwaceng (Pimpinella pruatjan)

Purwaceng or purwoceng or antanan gunung or Viagra of Java ( Pimpinella pruatjan or Pimpinella priatjan ) are small termas growing horizontally in Apiaceae, growing in villages on Dieng Plateau, Central Java Province, Indonesia, at 1,500 to 2,000 meters above sea level, the roots have medicinal properties for aphrodisiacs and are usually processed in powder form for a mixture of coffee or milk. P. pruatjan grows flat on the ground but does not propagate, small leaves are reddish green for 1-3 cm in diameter. This plant is only found in Java and grows in high mountain areas. A low population where industrial demand is very high results in increasingly scarce. Another place that is likely to become a purwaceng habitat is the Iyang Mountains and the Tengger Mountains in East Java Province. Efforts to multiply and cultivate have a big problem where these plants have difficulty producing seeds. In vitro propagation research through tissue cultivation has been carried out to overcome ...

Bitter vine (Mikania micrantha)

Sembung rambat or bitter vine ( Mikania micrantha ) is a plant species in Asteraceae, crawling or wrapped around trees, perennial that grows up to 27 mm per day in tropical climates, branched stems where heart-shaped or triangular leaves are arranged in pairs and a plant can cover more than 25 square meters in a few months. M. micrantha has square-shaped stems or longitudinal bones, light green, many branches and has fine hairs. The stems have segments for lengths of 75-215 mm, each segment has a pair of leaves, new shoots and flowers. New roots grow when the segments come in contact with the soil. The leaves are in pairs and facing each other. Strands do not have hair, heart-shaped or triangular with jagged edges, length 30-125 mm, width 15-60 mm. Petiole is 1-6 cm long and has fine hairs. The flower panicle grows from the armpit of the leaf and the tip of the stem, having 3-15 mm long stems. Each flower head has 4 minor flowers. The crown is greenish-white, tubular and measures ...