Fatty acid composition of some edible dung beetles in Thailand

Many species of dung beetles are consumed in the Northeastern region of Thailand, but their fatty acid composition has not been reported. In this paper, the fatty acid profiles of six species of edible dung beetles were evaluated, including Onthophagus seniculus, Onthophagus mouhoti, Onitis spp., Copris nevinsoni, Liatongus rhadamitus, and Heliocopris bucephalus. The lipid contents were similar in most species (12.1-14.0%), except in Onitis spp., which contained only 6.6%. In all species, palmitic acid (C16:0) was the major saturated fatty acids, while oleic acid (C18:1n9) and linoleic acid (C18:2n6) were the most abundant monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids, respectively. The long-chain fatty acids (C20:4n6) was also found in some species. A low ratio of omega-6/omega-3 (about 2/1 to 5/1) in some species is suitable for human diet. The results of this work would possibly be a nutritional reference concerning fat content and composition for local consumers.