This book draws on a wide range of scientific research on the contribution that insects make to ecosystems, diets, food security and livelihoods in both developed and developing countries.

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Edible insects: future prospects for food and feed security

With a growing world population and increasingly demanding consumers, the production of sufficient protein from livestock, poultry, and fish represents a serious challenge for the future. Approximately 1,900 insect species are eaten worldwide, mainly in developing countries. They constitute quality food and feed, have high feed conversion ratios, and emit low levels of greenhouse gases. Some insect species can be grown on organic side streams, reducing environmental contamination and transforming waste into high-protein feed that can replace increasingly more expensive compound feed ingredients, such as fish meal. This requires the development of costeffective, automated mass-rearing facilities that provide a reliable, stable, and safe product. In the tropics, sustainable harvesting needs to be assured and rearing practices promoted, and in general, the food resource needs to be revalorized. In the Western world, consumer acceptability will relate to pricing, perceived environmental benefits, and the development of tasty insect-derived protein products.

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Potential of Insects as Food and Feed in Assuring Food Security

State-of-the-art on use of insects as animal feed.

Calcium oxalate (CaOx) crystals are distributed among all taxonomic levels of photosynthetic organisms from small algae to angiosperms and giant gymnosperms. Accumulation of crystals by these organisms can be substantial. Major functions of CaOx crystal formation in plants include high-capacity calcium (Ca) regulation and protection against herbivory. Ultrastructural and developmental analyses have demonstrated that this biomineralization process is not a simple random physical-chemical precipitation of endogenously synthesized oxalic acid and environmentally derived Ca. Instead, crystals are formed in specific shapes and sizes. Genetic regulation of CaOx formation is indicated by constancy of crystal morphology within species, cell specialization, and the remarkable coordination of crystal growth and cell expansion. Using a variety of approaches, researchers have begun to unravel the exquisite control mechanisms exerted by cells specialized for CaOx formation that include the machinery for uptake and accumulation of Ca, oxalic acid biosynthetic pathways, and regulation of crystal growth.

CALCIUM OXALATE IN PLANTS: Formation and Function

http://ssu.ac.ir/cms/fileadmin/user_upload/Mtahghighat/tfood/ARTICLES/chemical_safety/Selenium_in_food_and_the_human_body_A_review.pdf

Selenium in food and the human body: A review

Changes of antioxidant activity and total phenolic compounds during storage of selected fruits

Proximate Composition of Raw and Cooked Thai Freshwater and Marine Fish

In vitro calcium bioavailability of vegetables, legumes and seeds

People in urban areas of Thailand are facing overnutrition, while those in rural areas suffer from undernutrition, especially protein‐energy malnutrition (PEM). In rural communities of Northern and Northeastern Thailand, where over half of the Thai population reside, sociocultural and economic limitations often obstruct the use of more common protein sources such as pork, beef, poultry, milk and eggs. Alternatively, edible insects are readily available and commonly eaten by rural people and can thus serve as an important protein source. In Thailand, over 50 species of insects are edible and can be consumed throughout the year. The most popular are silk worm pupae, bamboo worms, locusts, beetles, crickets, red ants, and other insects. These insects and others require certain collection methods; for example locusts, crickets and other types of insects are collected by using a light to lure them into nets. While these insects are commonly eaten, data on their nutritive values are scarce, though some informat...

Prapasri Puwastien

Papers

Changes of antioxidant activity and total phenolic compounds during storage of selected fruits

Proximate Composition of Raw and Cooked Thai Freshwater and Marine Fish

In vitro calcium bioavailability of vegetables, legumes and seeds

Edible insects in Thailand : An unconventional protein source ?

Selenium content of Thai foods