Nutritional analysis, volatile composition, antimicrobial and antioxidant properties of Australian green ants (Oecophylla smaragdina)
Shanmugam Alagappan,
Mridusmita Chaliha,
Yasmina Sultanbawa,
Steve Fuller,
Louwrens C. Hoffman,
Gabriele Netzel,
Nadine Weber,
Michael Rychlik,
Daniel Cozzolino,
Heather E. Smyth,
Sandra M. Olarte Mantilla
Affiliations
Shanmugam Alagappan
Centre for Nutrition and Food Sciences, Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation (QAAFI), The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland 4072, Australia
Mridusmita Chaliha
Centre for Nutrition and Food Sciences, Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation (QAAFI), The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland 4072, Australia
Yasmina Sultanbawa
Centre for Nutrition and Food Sciences, Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation (QAAFI), The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland 4072, Australia; ARC Industrial Transformation Training Centre for Uniquely Australian Foods, Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation, The University of Queensland, Kessels Rd, Coopers Plains, Queensland 4108, Australia
Steve Fuller
Department of Agriculture and Fisheries, Brisbane, Queensland 4000, Australia
Louwrens C. Hoffman
Centre for Nutrition and Food Sciences, Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation (QAAFI), The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland 4072, Australia; ARC Industrial Transformation Training Centre for Uniquely Australian Foods, Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation, The University of Queensland, Kessels Rd, Coopers Plains, Queensland 4108, Australia; Department of Animal Sciences, University of Stellenbosch, Private Bag X1, Matieland, Stellenbosch 7602, South Africa
Gabriele Netzel
Centre for Nutrition and Food Sciences, Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation (QAAFI), The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland 4072, Australia; ARC Industrial Transformation Training Centre for Uniquely Australian Foods, Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation, The University of Queensland, Kessels Rd, Coopers Plains, Queensland 4108, Australia
Nadine Weber
Chair of Analytical Food Chemistry, Technical University of Munich, 85354 Freising, Germany
Michael Rychlik
Centre for Nutrition and Food Sciences, Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation (QAAFI), The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland 4072, Australia; Chair of Analytical Food Chemistry, Technical University of Munich, 85354 Freising, Germany
Daniel Cozzolino
Centre for Nutrition and Food Sciences, Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation (QAAFI), The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland 4072, Australia; ARC Industrial Transformation Training Centre for Uniquely Australian Foods, Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation, The University of Queensland, Kessels Rd, Coopers Plains, Queensland 4108, Australia
Heather E. Smyth
Centre for Nutrition and Food Sciences, Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation (QAAFI), The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland 4072, Australia; ARC Industrial Transformation Training Centre for Uniquely Australian Foods, Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation, The University of Queensland, Kessels Rd, Coopers Plains, Queensland 4108, Australia
Sandra M. Olarte Mantilla
Centre for Nutrition and Food Sciences, Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation (QAAFI), The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland 4072, Australia; ARC Industrial Transformation Training Centre for Uniquely Australian Foods, Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation, The University of Queensland, Kessels Rd, Coopers Plains, Queensland 4108, Australia; Corresponding author at: Centre for Nutrition and Food Sciences, Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation (QAAFI), The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland 4072, Australia.
Edible green ants (Oecophylla smaragdina) are distributed in Asia, Australia, and the Pacific Islands, and are known for their pharmacological and nutritional applications, yet various properties are to be explored. Nutritional value, volatile compounds, antimicrobial and antioxidant potential were determined in four body regions [ant nest, whole ant, anterior part of the body, and gaster]. Proximate analysis revealed the anterior part have higher protein and fibre content, whilst fat content was higher in the gaster. GC–MS analysis revealed the complexity of ant nest with most compounds being organic acids, alcohols and alkanes. Antimicrobial activity was observed for whole ants (ZOI: 13.3 ± 0.8 mm) and anterior part (ZOI: 11.9 ± 0.5 mm) methanol extracted against Staphylococcus aureus (~104 CFU/ml). Whole ants methanol (813 ± 22.6 µg TROLOX eq/g of DW) and water (617.6 ± 59.2 µg TROLOX eq/g of DW) extracted exhibited higher free radical scavenging capacity amongst the four ant body regions. Whole ants water extracted (7 ± 0.4 mg GAE/g of DW) had the highest total phenolic content. In the methanol extracts, the gaster (6.2 ± 0.2 mg GAE/g of DW) exhibited the highest phenolic content. Whole ants exhibit good antioxidant and antimicrobial activity and considerable folate content.
