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This review is intended to provide recent published information on trace elements from edible insects from various environments. Recently, insects are gaining popularity as food proteins in developing countries and press higher demand for edible insects since they may provide similar nutritional value as meat. Insects have been part of the human diet in the world for decades and at least 1900 insect species are considered edible. Furthermore, insects play a crucial role in socioeconomic by contributing to the world’s food security as well as eradicating poverty in rural communities. Generally, edible insects are considered a readily available source of proteins, carbohydrates, and chitin. They also contain considerable amounts of trace elements such as iron, zinc, copper, and manganese. It has been observed that there is a great variation between mineral contents found in insects of the same or different species. Knowledge and comprehensive understanding of trace element contents of edible insects are crucial to fully maximise their utilisation in diets and prevent mineral deficiency in human beings and animals. However, most of the research on insects has focused on the nutritional contents of insects with less attention given to other nutritional components such as minerals and trace elements. The available data on trace elements from edible insects as food is limited and makes it difficult to draw estimations for the nutrient intake of humans and animals. Therefore, this review aimed to provide comprehensive information on availability of iron, zinc, copper, and manganese from selected edible insects, functions, and deficiencies in both humans and animals.

The therapeutic benefits of phenolic compounds found in plants are well known. The purpose of this study was to determine the phenolic content of ten plant species used as ethnoveterinary treatments in Namibia’s Omusati and Kunene regions. The plants of concern were Aloe esculenta, Fockea angustifolia, Boscia albitrunca, Combretum imberbe, Acacia nilotica, Colophospermum mopane, Acacia erioloba, Ziziphus mucronata, Ximenia americana, and Salvadora persica. An LC–MS approach was used to identify the compounds. To analyse high-resolution UPLC-UV/MS, a Waters Acquity ultra-performance liquid chromatograph (UPLC) with a photodiode array detector was connected to a Waters Synapt G2 quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometer (MS). The current study identified a total of 29 phenolic compounds. Flavonoids (epicatechin, (-)-Epigallocatechin, and rutin,) were the most abundant, followed by 2R, 3S-Piscidic acid. Methylisocitric acid was found in all species investigated, with the highest quantities in A. esculenta and X. americana leaf extracts. There were differences in composition and quantity of phenolic compounds in aerial and ground sections between species. The overall findings of the present study would act as a standard for subsequent investigations into the pharmacological potentials of plants species utilized as ethnoveterinary remedies. Priority should be given to isolating, purifying, and defining the active compounds responsible for these plants' activity.

This study determined the effect of purified condensed tannin inclusion levels in a diet on production, haematological indices, blood biochemical components, meat quality and methane emission by yearling indigenous male Bapedi sheep on a grass hay and sheep pellet-based diet in a 28-day trial. The diets contained similar (P > 0.05) nutrients but with different (P 80P20PCT0), 30 (GH80P20PCT30), 40 (GH80P20PCT40) and 50 (GH80P20PCT50) g/kg DM. A quadratic type of equation was also used to determine condensed tannin supplementation levels for optimal performance and methane emission reduction by sheep. Supplementing diets with purified condensed tannins did not affect (P > 0.05) diet intake, digestibility and live weight gain of male Bapedi sheep. Supplementing diets with purified condensed tannins did not affect (P > 0.05) blood components of male Bapedi sheep. Inclusion of condensed tannins in the diets did not affect (P > 0.05) Bapedi sheep meat pH and sensory attributes. However, supplementing diets with purified condensed tannins decreased (P P