Proximate Analysis of Nymph, Subadult, and Adult Cockroaches Blatta lateralis and Blaptica dubia as a Potential Food and Feed Source

Abstract

With a growing world population and increasingly demanding consumers, producing sufficient protein from livestock, poultry, and fish will be a serious challenge in the future. Thus, this study generally seeks to determine the nutritional value of nymphs, subadults, and adults of Blatta lateralis and Blaptica dubia as potential human food, feed, or feed ingredients. The test samples were cleaned and dried for three hours at 110°C to remove moisture, pulverized, and then stored in a non-vacuum desiccator. Proximate analysis was conducted on 6 samples representing three developmental stages (nymph, subadult, adult) of two cockroach species. Moisture content was determined using the oven-drying method; crude protein, the Kjeldahl method; crude fat, the indirect solvent extraction method; crude fiber, the Weende method; and ash content, the ignition gravimetric method. Analysis revealed that the protein content of B. lateralis (52.72-68.55%) and B. dubia (57.21 – 59.84%) is much higher compared to the Philippine Bureau of Animal Industry Standard (2008) for poultry feeds (21.5%, min.). The crude fat content of 8.97-25.99% for B. lateralis and 16.67-24.46% for B. dubia is also higher than the standard minimum of 4.00%. Both samples have high fiber content, 7.35-8.99% in B. lateralis and 7.95-9.49% in B. dubia, but failed the BAI standard of 3.50%, max. The ash content, % carbohydrates (or nitrogen-free extract), and gross energy values are 4.59-5.34%, 8.56-9.35%, and 391-482 kcal/100g for B. lateralis, and 4.07-5.05%, 5.39-10.95%, and 431-472 kcal/100g for B. dubia, respectively. This implies that the nymphs, subadults, and adults of B. lateralis and B. dubia can be formulated as appropriate feed or feed ingredients for animals, or as food and food additives for human consumption.