Abstract

The purpose of this study was to assess the fatty acid profile of three edible arthropods in the Republic of the Congo. Samples of fresh arthropods were purchased, dried at 70°C in the oven and then ground to powder in the laboratory using a mortar and pestle. The lipid content of the powder was determined using the Soxhlet extraction method, and physico-chemical analysis of fatty acids (FAs) was carried out by gas chromatography (GC). The results reveal that Haplozana nigrolineata has a content of 9.83%, Acanthacris ruficornis 3.5%, and Protomacronema species 6%. H. nigrolineata have a higher iodine value (146.87), followed by A. ruficornis (136.01) and Protomacronema spp. (104.7). All three species have high palmitic acid contents. These three Arthropods contain more unsaturated fatty acids (57.12% Protomacronema spp.; 65.71% A. ruficornis; 61.37% H. nigrolineata) followed by saturated fatty acids with values of 42.88, 34.29, and 38.63% respectively for Protomacronema spp., A. ruficornis, and H. nigrolineata. The chromatogram of the lipid fatty acid profile revealed the presence of 4 major peaks for Protomacronema spp., 4 major peaks for A. ruficornis and 5 major peaks for H. nigrolineata.  

Key words: Fatty acid, arthropod, Protomacronema species, Acanthacris ruficornis, Haplozana nigrolineata.