TY  - JOUR
TI  - Functional components and consumption frequency of “chapulines” fed on alfalfa vs. corn in the Sierra Sur region of Oaxaca
AU  - Hernández Ramírez, José Cutberto
AU  - López, Susana Medina
PY  - 2026
JO  - Exploration of Foods and Foodomics
VL  - 4
SP  - 1010154
DO  - 10.37349/eff.2026.1010154
UR  - https://www.explorationpub.com/Journals/eff/Article/1010154
AB  - Aim: To explore the potential contribution of ω-3 fatty acids and fiber from traditionally cooked adult chapulines (Sphenarium purpurascens) to the diet of consumers in the Sierra Sur region of Oaxaca. Methods: Exploratory study in two phases. In the first stage, preliminary interviews were conducted with retailers of the edible insect S. purpurascens at the traveling market in the city of Miahuatlán de Porfirio Díaz, Oaxaca. Proximate analyses were also performed in triplicate and fatty acid profiles were determined by gas chromatography on samples of cooked adult S. purpurascens fed on alfalfa and corn (Mesoamerican polyculture), collected at the same market. The information was analyzed using descriptive statistics, confidence interval comparisons, and Welch’s t-test. The second phase consisted of a survey (n = 144) to estimate the average intake (g/day) and frequency of consumption of S. purpurascens by its buyers in the aforementioned market. The information was analyzed using descriptive statistics and the Kruskal-Wallis test. Results: Alfalfa-fed S. purpurascens had 6.4 times more fiber (57.80% vs. 8.96%) than their corn-fed counterpart (p < 0.001), with the ω-6:ω-3 ratios being 0.60 and 0.59 in the corn- and alfalfa-fed samples, respectively. The most frequent consumption of S. purpurascens reported by buyers was 1–2 days per week (51%), and the average intake of all respondents was 27.5 g/day. This amount would provide 12.4% of the average daily requirement of omega-3 for adults and 39.7% of fiber if the alfalfa-fed insect is considered. Conclusions: Alfalfa-fed adult S. purpurascens provide a high fiber content to the diet of their consumers, and those fed alfalfa or corn provide a moderate amount of ω-3 fatty acids, which can help balance the ω-6:ω-3 ratio.
ER  -