Meeting the global protein supply requirements of a growing and ageing population.

Human dietary patterns are a major cause of environmental transformation, with agriculture occupying ~ 50% of global land space, while food production itself is responsible for ~ 30% of all greenhouse gas emissions and 70% of freshwater use. Furthermore, the global population is also growing, such that by 2050, it is estimated to exceed ~ 9 billion. While most of this expansion in population is expected to occur in developing countries, in high-income countries there are also predicted changes in demographics, with major increases in the number of older people.

Absorption of iron from edible house crickets: a randomized crossover stable-isotope study in humans.

Background: Edible insects are a novel source of animal protein. Moreover, edible insects contain iron concentrations similar to meat, potentially making them a valuable iron source for human consumers. Yet, it is unknown to what extent iron from insects is absorbed in humans.

Lipidome of cricket species used as food.

The variation in lipidome of house cricket, banded cricket, Jamaican field cricket and two-spotted cricket was studied using high-throughput screening techniques for fingerprinting (MALDI TOF MS, GC-MS and LC MS-MS) and well-stablished chromatographic techniques for quantification (HPLC-ELSD, GC- FID). Although the four cricket species were reared in identical conditions, two-spotted & banded crickets had a lipid content 1.5 fold higher than house cricket.

The nocturnal leopard gecko (Eublepharis macularius) uses UVb radiation for vitamin D synthesis.

Vitamin D is an important regulator of calcium and phosphorus homeostasis in animals. It can be acquired from the diet or synthesised de novo when skin is exposed to UVb. Vitamin D deficiency can lead to a complex of diseases collectively called metabolic bone disease (MBD).

Correction: Feed Conversion, Survival and Development, and Composition of Four Insect Species on Diets Composed of Food By-Products.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.

Dietary enrichment of edible insects with omega 3 fatty acids.

Edible insects are advocated as sustainable and healthy food and feed. However, commercially produced insects are often low in n-3 fatty acids and have suboptimal n-6/n-3 ratios. A certain amount and proportion of these FAs is required to optimize human health.

ARTIFICIAL ULTRAVIOLET B RADIATION RAISES PLASMA 25-HYDROXYVITAMIN D CONCENTRATIONS IN BURMESE PYTHONS ( PYTHON BIVITTATUS).

Deficiency of vitamin D can contribute to health complications that present as metabolic bone disease. The aim of this small-scale study was to determine if a high UVb irradiance would affect an increase in plasma vitamin D concentrations in Burmese pythons ( Python bivittatus). There have been inconsistent results throughout the literature concerning the usefulness of UVb radiation regarding vitamin D synthesis.

Insects as sources of iron and zinc in human nutrition.

Dietary deficiencies in Fe and Zn are globally widespread, causing serious health problems such as anaemia, poor pregnancy outcomes, increased risk of morbidity and mortality, stunted growth and impaired physical and cognitive development. Edible insects, of which a diversity of over 2000 species is available, are dietary components for about 2 billion individuals and are a valuable source of animal protein. In the present paper, we review the available information on Fe and Zn in edible insects and their potential as a source of these micronutrients for the rapidly growing human population.

Evidence of vitamin D synthesis in insects exposed to UVb light.

Vertebrates obtain the prohormone vitamin D primarily by endogenous cutaneous synthesis under ultraviolet b (UVb) exposure. To date, endogenous synthesis of vitamin D in insects has never been investigated. In an initial experiment, we exposed four insect species which differ in ecology and morphology (migratory locusts, house crickets, yellow mealworms and black soldier fly larvae (BSFL)) to a low irradiance UVb source.

Evidence-Based Reptile Housing and Nutrition.

The provision of a good light source is important for reptiles. For instance, ultraviolet light is used in social interactions and used for vitamin D synthesis. With respect to housing, most reptilians are best kept pairwise or individually.

Aflatoxin B1 Tolerance and Accumulation in Black Soldier Fly Larvae (Hermetia illucens) and Yellow Mealworms (Tenebrio molitor).

Crops contaminated with fungal mycotoxins such as aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) are often downgraded or removed from the food chain. This study aimed to evaluate the tolerance and accumulation of AFB1 in two insect species to determine whether they could be used to retain condemned mycotoxin contaminated crops in the food chain. First, instar black soldier fly larvae (, BSF) and yellow mealworm (, YMW) were fed poultry feed spiked with AFB1 and formulated to contain levels of 0.

A comparison of UVb compact lamps in enabling cutaneous vitamin D synthesis in growing bearded dragons.

The effect of exposure to different UVb compact lamps on the vitamin D status of growing bearded dragons (Pogona vitticeps) was studied. Forty-two newly hatched bearded dragons (<24 h old) were allocated to six treatment groups (n = 7 per group). Five groups were exposed to different UVb compact lamps for two hours per day, with a control group not exposed to UVb radiation.

Uptake of Cadmium, Lead and Arsenic by Tenebrio molitor and Hermetia illucens from Contaminated Substrates.

Insects have potential as a novel source of protein in feed and food production in Europe, provided they can be used safely. To date, limited information is available on the safety of insects, and toxic elements are one of the potential hazards of concern. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the potential accumulation of cadmium, lead and arsenic in larvae of two insect species, Tenebrio molitor (yellow mealworm) and Hermetia illucens (black soldier fly), which seem to hold potential as a source of food or feed.

Photoreceptor spectral sensitivity of the compound eyes of black soldier fly (Hermetia illucens) informing the design of LED-based illumination to enhance indoor reproduction.

Mating in the black soldier fly (BSF) is a visually mediated behaviour that under natural conditions occurs in full sunlight. Artificial light conditions promoting mating by BSF were designed based on the spectral characteristics of the compound eye retina. Electrophysiological measurements revealed that BSF ommatidia contained UV-, blue- and green-sensitive photoreceptor cells, allowing trichromatic vision.

Feed Conversion, Survival and Development, and Composition of Four Insect Species on Diets Composed of Food By-Products.

A large part of the environmental impact of animal production systems is due to the production of feed. Insects are suggested to efficiently convert feed to body mass and might therefore form a more sustainable food and/or feed source. Four diets were composed from by-products of food manufacturing and formulated such as to vary in protein and fat content.

The diet of free-roaming Australian Central Bearded Dragons (Pogona vitticeps).

The central bearded dragon (Pogona vitticeps) is one of the most popular pet lizards. However, little is known regarding their nutrient requirement, or their natural diet. Therefore, the stomach contents of 14 free-roaming P.

Growth performance and feed conversion efficiency of three edible mealworm species (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae) on diets composed of organic by-products.

Insects receive increasing attention as an alternative protein-rich food source for humans. Producing edible insects on diets composed of organic by-products could increase sustainability. In addition, insect growth rate and body composition, and hence nutritional quality, can be altered by diet.

Protein quality of insects as potential ingredients for dog and cat foods.

Insects have been proposed as a high-quality, efficient and sustainable dietary protein source. The present study evaluated the protein quality of a selection of insect species. Insect substrates were housefly pupae, adult house cricket, yellow mealworm larvae, lesser mealworm larvae, Morio worm larvae, black soldier fly larvae and pupae, six spot roach, death's head cockroach and Argentinean cockroach.

Blood vitamin D(3) metabolite concentrations of adult female bearded dragons (Pogona vitticeps) remain stable after ceasing UVb exposure.

Vitamin D deficiency can lead to several health problems collectively called metabolic bone disease (MBD). One commonly kept reptile species prone to develop MBD if managed incorrectly is the bearded dragon (Pogona vitticeps). This study aimed to determine the extent to which adult female bearded dragons fed a diet low in vitamin D can use stored vitamin D and its metabolites to maintain plasma 25(OH)D(3) and 1,25(OH)(2)D(3) concentrations after discontinuing UVb exposure.

Environmental impact of the production of mealworms as a protein source for humans - a life cycle assessment.

The demand for animal protein is expected to rise by 70-80% between 2012 and 2050, while the current animal production sector already causes major environmental degradation. Edible insects are suggested as a more sustainable source of animal protein. However, few experimental data regarding environmental impact of insect production are available.

An investigation into the chemical composition of alternative invertebrate prey.

The aim of this study was to determine the chemical composition of eight invertebrate species and evaluate their suitability as alternative prey. The species selected were rusty red cockroaches (Blatta lateralis), six-spotted cockroaches (Eublaberus distanti), Madagascar hissing cockroaches (Gromphadorhina portentosa), fruit flies (Drosophila melanogaster), false katydids (Microcentrum rhombifolium), beetles of the mealworm (Tenebrio molitor), and superworm beetles (Zophobas morio), as well as woodlice (Porcellio scaber). Dry matter (DM), crude protein, crude fat, neutral detergent fiber, acid detergent fiber, ash, macro and trace minerals, vitamins A and E, and carotenoid concentrations were quantified.

Effects of diet on the chemical composition of migratory locusts (Locusta migratoria).

An experiment was conducted to determine the effects of diet on the chemical composition of migratory locusts (Locusta migratoria L.). Fresh and dry weight and the contents of dry matter, ash, lipid, protein, Ca, K, Mg, Na, P, Cu, Fe, Zn, retinol, lutein, zeaxanthine, cryptoxanthin, carotenes, lycopene and gross energy were determined in penultimate instar and adult locusts, that had been fed three different diets.

An exploration on greenhouse gas and ammonia production by insect species suitable for animal or human consumption.

Background: Greenhouse gas (GHG) production, as a cause of climate change, is considered as one of the biggest problems society is currently facing. The livestock sector is one of the large contributors of anthropogenic GHG emissions. Also, large amounts of ammonia (NH(3)), leading to soil nitrification and acidification, are produced by livestock.