Physicochemical Characteristics of the Flour and Oil of Winged Termites (Macrotermes bellicosus) Consumed in Man,Côte d'IvoirePhysicochemical Characteristics of the Flour and Oil of Winged Termites (Macrotermes bellicosus) Consumed in Man,Côte d'Ivoire
Tokpa Louya Oulai
Department of Agricultural & Forestry and Environmental Engineering, Polytechnic University of Man, Cote d’Ivoire.
Lathro Anselme Akpro *
Marc Delorme Station, Coconut Research Station, National Centre for Agricultural Research, Port-Bouêt, Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire.
Firma N’guessan Yao
Department of Agricultural & Forestry and Environmental Engineering, Polytechnic University of Man, Cote d’Ivoire.
Noëlle Françoise Kodjo
Faculty of Biological Sciences, Peleforo Gon Coulibaly University, P.O. Box 1328, Korhogo, Côte d’Ivoire.
Grodji Albarin Gbogouri
Nutrition and Food Safety Laboratory. Training and Research Unit for Food Science and Technology, Nangui Abrogoua University, Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
Background: Winged termites (Macrotermes bellicosus) are consumed in western Côte d’Ivoire, but information on the physicochemical characteristics of termite flour and its extracted oil in the Man region remains limited. This study assessed the proximate composition of the flour and selected quality indices of the oil.
Methods: Winged termites were collected in Man in March 2025, cleaned, dried at 65 °C for 72 hours, milled into flour and analysed in triplicate. Moisture, ash, crude protein and lipid contents were determined using established analytical methods. Total carbohydrates were estimated by difference, and energy value was calculated from the reported macronutrient contents. The extracted oil was evaluated using acid, peroxide, iodine and saponification values.
Results: The flour had a moisture content of 5.32% and a dry-matter content of 94.68%. On a dry-matter basis, protein, lipid and ash contents were 31.5%, 51.38% and 12.62%, respectively. Table 1 reported an energy value of 604.66 kcal/100 g dry matter. The oil had an acid value of 2.24 mg KOH/g, a peroxide value of 0.72 meq O₂/kg, an iodine value of 112.36 g I₂/100 g and a saponification value of 253.38 mg KOH/g.
Conclusion: The analysed termite flour contained substantial protein and lipids, while the extracted oil showed low measured acid and peroxide values. Further compositional and storage assessments are needed before broader nutritional or industrial applications can be established.
Keywords: Winged termites, Macrotermes bellicosus, chemical composition, oil, chemical indices, nutritional value