author(s)
Saihlpuii Sailo, Sudhansu Bhagawati, Samindra Baishya Kritideepan Sarmah and Khanin Pathak

abstract
Five common edible insect species like red ant (Oecophylla smaragdina), muga silkworm (Antherea assamensis), honey bee (Apis cerana), winged termite (Odontotermes obesus) and eri silkworm (Samia ricini) were evaluated for biochemical constituents. The range of moisture, crude fat, crude protein, total soluble protein, crude fibre, carbohydrate and ash were between 6.30-16.04 per cent, 10.20-36.08 per cent, 23.31-52.35 per cent, 12.54-18.71 per cent, 3.16-9.78 per cent, 7.20-16.84 per cent and 2.58-5.60 per cent respectively. These species had sodium content ranging from 10.67-149.10 mg/100g, potassium from 9.68-710.49 mg/100g, calcium from 20.65-222.83 mg/100g, iron from 5.70-25.18 mg/100g and zinc from 5.40-35.18 mg/100g respectively. Antinutritional components like tannin, phytic acid and oxalate were recorded as of 97.82-236.31 mg tannic acid equivalent/100g, 8.55-97.91 mg/100g and 1.49-3.79 mg/100g respectively. The range of phenol content, flavonoid content and antioxidant activity (DPPH) were recorded between 25.78-210.06 mg catechol equivalent/100g, 4.96-44.68 mg quercetin equivalent/100g and 89.36-94.41 per cent respectively.