title: Nutritional evaluation of protein from Clanis bilineata (Lepidoptera), an edible insect.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  This study was carried out to determine the nutritive quality of protein from Clanis bilineata (CB), an edible insect.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The protein content of dried CB was 685.3 g kg(-1) and its essential amino acid content was 528.4 g kg(-1), both of which are comparable to those of milk and eggs. Three groups of rats were fed diets containing either casein or CB protein (CBP) as protein source or a protein-free diet for 10 days. The nutritional parameters measured for the group fed the diet containing CBP showed a positive nitrogen balance of 1.37, a net protein retention of 2.9 and a true digestibility of 95.8%, comparable to those measured for the group fed the casein diet.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results suggest that CBP may be a suitable alternative dietary protein source for humans.
authors.affiliation: School of Marine Science and Technology, HuaiHai Institute of Technology, Xinpu 222005, China.
authors.forename: Zhenqiang
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Xia
authors.forename: Shengjun
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Saikun
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Pan
authors.forename: Jin Moon
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Kim
mesh_terms: D000601:Amino Acids, Essential / Q000032:analysis* / Q000494:pharmacology; D000818:Animals; D002364:Caseins; D004032:Diet; D004044:Dietary Proteins / Q000032:analysis* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology; D004063:Digestion; D006801:Humans; D007915:Lepidoptera / Q000737:chemistry*; D008297:Male; D009584:Nitrogen / Q000378:metabolism*; D009753:Nutritive Value; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar
chemical_list: D000601:Amino Acids, Essential; D002364:Caseins; D004044:Dietary Proteins; D009584:Nitrogen