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

Señorita banana (Musa acuminata AA Group 'Señorita')

Cavendish banana (Musa acuminata) Red banana (Musa acuminata AAA Group 'Red Dacca' Saba banana (Musa acuminata ABB Group 'Saba') Pisang mas or señorita banana ( Musa acuminata AA Group 'Señorita') is a cultivar in Musaceae, a banana with a cylindrical shape and bright yellow skin when ripe, one of the banana cultivars with the shortest fruit and has small seeds or no seeds. M. acuminata (AA Group) 'Señorita' emerged from a completely buried tuber. Stem formed as a pseudostem with heaps of leaf sheaths and succulent, soft, up to 2.5 m high, 42 cm girth at 1 m high. The pseudo stem is green and shiny with a pink-purple base color. The leaf blade is elongated, waxy with a stalk that is sometimes bordered from pink-purple to red, 120 cm long, 45 cm wide and impermeable. The inflorescences hang vertically with red-purple bracts which are yellow or green on the inner surface. Yellow male flowers. The plants start to flower about 231 days after planting....

Awar awar (Ficus septica)

Awar-awar or lagnob or hauli tree or barabar or sirih popar or tobo tobo ( Ficus septica ) is species of plants in Moraceae, trees grow in bushes or in neglected places and sap contained in roots, twigs, leaves and fruit is used to treat poisoning and digestive problems. F. septica is usually 1-5 m high, although in the forest it can be up to 25 m. Round, hollow and bare branches. Roots, twigs, leaves and fruit will emit a yellow sap and sticky if injured. The base of the leaves is large and spiky, arranged alternately or face to face with a stem length of 2.5-5 cm. Large leaf blade, round egg, 9-30x9-16 cm, rounded base and blunt narrow tip, flat-edged, upper side dark green with 6-12 secondary bones pale white. Fruit paired, single or clustered up to 4 items, short-stemmed, at the base has 3 protective leaves, light green or gray green and 1.5 cm in diameter. F. septica is food for 22 animal species including wasps, bats, birds, monkeys and mice as well as seed dispersing vecto...

Screw tree (Helicteres isora)

Screw tree ( Helicteres isora ) is a species of plant in the Malvaceae family. It is a shrub or small tree, up to 8 meters tall. It has gray bark and alternate leaves, up to 22 cm long and 17 cm wide, oval in shape, with serrated edges and hairs. The flowers are red or white and reach a total length of 5.5 cm. The fruit is green when unripe, brown or gray when dry, twisted, spiral-shaped, and pointed at the tip. The seeds are black or brown, shiny, and diagonal, triangular, or rectangular. TAXON Kingdom: Plantae Phylum: Tracheophyta Subphylum: Angiospermae Class: Magnoliopsida Order: Malvales Family: Malvaceae Subfamily: Helicteroideae Tribe: Helictereae Genus: Helicteres Pluk. ex L. in Sp. Pl.: 963 (1753) Species: Helicteres isora L. in Sp. Pl.: 963 (1753) HETEROTYPIC SYNONYMS Helicteres baruensis var. ovata DC. in Prodr. 1: 476 (1824) Helicteres chrysocalyx Miq. ex Mast. in J.D.Hooker, Fl. Brit. India 1: 365 (1874) Helicteres corylifolia Buch.-Ham. ex Dillwyn in Rev. Hortus Malab....

Dlium