Macronutrient and mineral content of edible Coleopteran with reference to the Baksa district, India.

Edible insects form a part of human diets from the prehistoric time. The practice of eating insects has associated with rural life and rural communities of Baksa, Assam. Amongst aquatic insects, Coleopterans (beetles) are one of the most successful groups and the largest order in the class Insecta. Coleopterans can be beneficial to human economics by controlling the populations of pests. The biochemical analysis shows that coleopterans are rich in Protein with significant amount of lipid and carbohydrate content. Also all three commonly consumed coleopterans in Baksa, Assam show a good amount of minerals i.e. Mg, Ca, Fe, Zn, Cu, Mn etc.