Ethno-entomotherapeutic and metabolite profiling of Coridius chinensis (Dallas), a traditional edible insect species of North-East India.

Edible insects possess several health enhancing properties and play an important role in human nutrition. Coridius chinensis is an edible insect that is considered food and claimed as traditional medicine. In the present study, nutritional contents, chemical composition, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory properties of C. chinensis were analyzed. It was found that the insect sample contains 50.46% moisture, 44.65% protein, 4.45% carbohydrate, 39.42% crude fats, 3.53% ash and 576.11 (Kcal/100 g) energy. Our study highlighted the presence of a significant amount of phenol and flavonoids. The C. chinensis hydro-alcoholic extract showed high antioxidant property and anti-inflammatory activity. GCMS analysis identified 61 volatile compounds. LC-MS analysis of hydroalcoholic extract of C. chinensis revealed the presence of compounds such as etodolac glucuronide, morphine 3-glucuronide, ecgonine, ecgonine methyl ester, sufentanil, and palmitoyl ethanololamide. These findings suggest that C. chinensis species can be employed as a valuable food source with excellent therapeutic properties.

Bio-economic potential of ethno-entomophagy and its therapeutics in India.

Insects are the largest group of arthropods with the highest faunal diversity of over a million species. Apart from many other roles in the environment, the aspect of several insects being used for human consumption (entomophagy) and as traditional medicine (entomotherapy) by different communities of the world holds special significance for countering global food crisis. The enormous insect resources contribute a reasonable share in improving the livelihoods of many entomophagy practicing communities. Considering this significance, the present review emphasizes the bio-economic potential of insect resources. An overview of entomophagy practices in India; benefits towards the environment, humans and animals; insect species used in entomophagy along with therapeutic importance, nutritional, physical, chemical, and microbiological hazards; farming and mass production technologies; legal status and socio-economic implications in Indian scenario have been presented. Traditionally tested and accepted therapeutic use of edible insects have been reported to cure various disease conditions and calls for scientific exploration and validation to rediscover promising medical products of modern medicine. Edible insects as an alternative food need to be popularized in India with a new policy or regulation to harvest and sell insect-derived food products with proper safe consumption demonstrations. Considering the facts that insects reproduce in large numbers at a faster rate, require less land, water and other resources for farming, and economically and ecologically sustainable harvesting can be done in a short time, insect farming can offer revenue and rural job opportunities in developing countries, especially in India. Therefore, the traditional use of insects as food and medicine has tremendous potential to enhance the economy and living standards.