Entomotherapy: a study of medicinal insects of seven ethnic groups in Nagaland, North-East India

Abstract

Background The ethnic communities in Nagaland have kept a close relationship with nature since time immemorial and have traditionally used different kinds of insects and their products as folk medicine to treat a variety of human ills and diseases. The present study was conducted to record the entomotherapeutic practices of seven different ethnic groups of Nagaland. Method Documentation is based on semi-structured questionnaires and group discussions with a total of 370 informants. The data collected were analysed using fidelity level (FL) and informant consensus factor (ICF). Results Fifty species of medicinal insects belonging to 28 families and 11 orders were identified in connection with treatments of at least 50 human ailments, of which the most frequently cited were coughs, gastritis, rheumatoid arthritis, stomach ache and wound healing. Mylabris sp. showed the highest fidelity level (FL) of 100% for its therapeutic property as a dermatologic agent, while the informant consensus factor (ICF) ranged from 0.66 to 1.00. The use of medicinal insects varies amongst the seven ethnic groups, suggesting that differences in cultures and geographic location can lead to the selection of specific insect species for specific medicinal purposes. The largest number of insect species appear to be used for treating gastrointestinal, dermatological and respiratory diseases. Conclusion The list of medicinal insect species, many of which are reported for the first time in the present study, suggests the presence of a considerable diversity of therapeutically important insect species in the region and elaborate folk medicinal knowledge of the local ethnic groups. This knowledge of insects not just as a food, but also as therapy is passed down verbally from generation to generation, but is in danger of being lost if not documented in a systematic way. Having stood the test of time, traditional folk medicinal knowledge and its contribution through entomotherapy should not be regarded as useless as it has the potential to lead to the development of novel drugs and treatment methods.

Indigenous knowledge system associated with the uses of insects for therapeutic or medicinal purposes in two main provinces of Burkina Faso, West Africa

“…Our study revealed nineteen (19) medicinal insects used by traditional healers, showing very rich ethnomedicine knowledge in the two provinces of Burkina Faso. There are similarities with other studies carried out in the world generally, and in Africa specifically, where bees (Hymenoptera) and their products, but also beetles (Coleoptera) and cockroaches (Blattodea), were predominant in the list of the therapeutic species [ 11 , 14 , 18 ] . Thus, insect and insect-derived products provide ingredients that have been a staple in traditional medicine for centuries in many parts of the world.…”

“…can be used to treat different health problems [ 14 , 15 ]. Insect therapy can be an excellent avenue for drug research regarding the great diversity in this group [ 11 – 13 , 16 – 18 ]. This requires a deep knowledge of the medicinal insects, their chemical composition and their potential applications.…”

“…This requires a deep knowledge of the medicinal insects, their chemical composition and their potential applications. However, if in countries like China, Korea, India or Brazil, many documents provide information on medicinal insects [ 14 , 16 , 18 – 22 ], this is not the case for many African countries and even more Burkina Faso. The existing data remained very scarce [ 8 , 23 ] and need to be deepened.…”

Invertebrates and herptiles for livelihoods—ethnozoological use among different ethnic communities in Jammu and Kashmir (Indian Himalayas)

“…The selected respondents were asked about the local usage and names of invertebrates and herpetofauna. The corresponding photographs for each species (N = 30) were then identified using field guides and secondary sources ( Greig-Smith, 1983 ; Phillips, 1994 ; Kakati et al, 2006 ; Oksanen et al, 2013 ; Team, 2013 ; Altaf et al, 2018 ; Mozhui et al, 2021 ; Mussarat et al, 2021 ; Haq et al, 2022 ) with the help of a local taxonomist from the zoology department at Baba Ghulam Shah Badshah University in Rajouri, J&K, India. Taxonomic verification was also carried out by using the online databases “Integrated Taxonomic Information System” ( https://www.itis.gov ) and IUCN’s Red List of Threatened Species ( https://www.iucnredlist.org ).…”

Edible Aquatic Insects: Diversities, Nutrition, and Safety

“…Some natural toxins are produced by insects in their special organs, such as bee venom and cantharidin [ 109 , 110 ]. The giant water bug L. indicus , which is consumed as both a medicinal and edible insect [ 111 ], could produce complex chemicals in its odorous gland [ 112 , 113 ]. On the other hand, some other components from insects are enriched and accumulated from the plants, fungi, and algae that they feed on.…”