A picture from the Sahel
region reveals a shocking scenario. It is a reality which the residents have no
control over. This is the presence of desert locusts. The locusts have been
chewing every green vegetation leaving farms bear and unproductive. That is a
reality which greets Sahel people every morning. Desert locusts have been terrorizing
farms for over a decade now.
The agony and pain of
farmers however may come to an end soon thanks to the efforts of Prof. Baldwyn
Torto, an icipe scientist
who has just discovered the benefit of these ugly looking hoppers.
The idea of having a
mouthful of locusts might seem ridiculous, untidy and archaic, right? Well, if
you think so all you will have to do is close your eyes have a mouthful and
feel the gnash of insects between your teeth as you munch to their delicacy.
According to Prof
Baldwyn’s study conducted jointly by icipe ,
Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology and United States
Department of Agriculture/ Agriculture Research Service (USDA/ARS), Eating meat
of the desert locust could be good for your heart.
Through a paper published
in PLOS ONE journal on 13 May 2015,
the researchers show that the desert locust, scienctifially known as Schistocera gregaria, contains rich
composition of compounds known as sterols, which in turn have cholesterol-lowering
properties, thereby reducing the risk of heart disease.
Prof. Baldwyn explains
sterols occur naturally in plants, animals and fungi. The sterols from plants
are called phytosterols and those from animals are known as zoosterols. Cholesterol
is the most familiar type of sterol. Phytosterols and cholesterol have common
target of getting absorbed in the intestines. Phytosterols however have been
shown to have a competitive advantage as they are able to block the absorption
of cholesterol.
Although vegetables are
generally the richest sources of phytosterols, insects have the potential to
supply these useful compounds to people.
“In our study we found
that, as is the case in other insects, cholesterol is the major tissue sterol
in desert locusts. However, we observed that after the desert locust has fed on
a vegetative diet, most of the common phytosterols are amplified and new ones
are also produced in its tissues. In turn, this leads to a high phytosterol
content, which suggests that eating desert locusts could reduce cholesterol
levels,” explains Prof. Torto.
He adds that aside from
cardiovascular protective effects, the researchers also found the desert locust
to have a wealth of other nutrients, including proteins, fatty acids and
minerals, which are beneficial for anti-inflammatory, anticancer and also have
immune regulatory effects. As such, the desert locust is an excellent source of
dietary components for both humans and animals.
The findings by icipe are redeeming for the desert locust,
which is probably more reputed for its alarming threat to food security, for
instance, through outbreaks in the Sahel region of Africa, which have been
known to destroy land and crops, leaving hunger and poverty in their wake.
“We hope that our
findings will refocus the research on the desert locust in a new emerging
dimension; its potential as a component in food and nutritional security in
Africa. Despite its negative image, the desert locust is already consumed in
many regions in Africa and Asia. As icipe has
proven over the years, the desert locust is extremely easy to rear, meaning
that it could either be domesticated on a small-scale, or even produced through
commercial ventures”, concludes Prof. Torto
SOURCE: www.icipe.org
