Inhabitants of the Indonesian island of Sumatra are faced with the problem of insufficient food supplies and the consequent risk of undernourishment and health issues. Edible insects as a traditional and readily available food source could be part of the solution. The nutritional value of insects depends on many factors, e.g., species, developmental stage, sex, diet, and climatic conditions. However, edible insects bred in Sumatra for human consumption have never before been assessed with regard to their nutritional value. Our study involved analyses of crude protein, chitin, fat and selected fatty acid contents of giant mealworm larvae (Zophobas morio), larvae of the common mealworm (Tenebrio molitor) and nymphs of the field cricket (Gryllus assimilis). Crude protein content in the samples ranged from 46% to 56%. Highest (35%) and lowest (31%) amounts of fat were recorded in giant mealworm larvae and larvae of the common mealworm, respectively. Chitin amounts ranged from 6% to 13%. Based on these values, which are comparable to those known from other food insects reared in different regions of the world, the edible species bred in Sumatra could become food sources with a potential to help stave off hunger and undernourishment.

Department of Food Analysis and Chemistry Tomas Bata University in Zlin 760 01 Zlin Czech Republic

Department of Forensic Medicine Faculty of Medicine Masaryk University 601 77 Brno Czech Republic

Department of Husbandry and Ethology of Animals Faculty of Agrobiology Food and Natural Resources Czech University of Life Sciences Prague 165 21 Prague Czech Republic

Department of Information Technology Mendel University 613 00 Brno Czech Republic

Department of Microbiology Nutrition and Dietetics Faculty of Agrobiology Food and Natural Resources Czech University of Life Sciences Prague 165 21 Prague Czech Republic

Department of Microelectronics Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Communication Brno University of Technology 616 00 Brno Czech Republic

Department of Quality of Agricultural Products Faculty of Agrobiology Food and Natural Resources Czech University of Life Sciences Prague 165 21 Prague Czech Republic

Department of Zoology Fisheries Hydrobiology and Apiculture Mendel University 613 00 Brno Czech Republic

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