The Study
Response Surface Optimization of Hexane Extraction and Chemical Characterization of Oil From Locusta migratoria
This study just measured what chemicals are in grasshopper oil, like checking what ingredients are in a bottle of salad dressing. It doesn't tell us if eating it is good or bad for people.
Analysis score
Maximum 0 for a computational/algorithm study.
Where the score came from
Scientists figured out the best way to squeeze oil out of migratory locusts using a chemical called hexane.
Where does this study sit?
Reviews of RCTs (Meta-analyses)
Max 100Randomized Trials
Max 90Reviews of Cohort Studies
Max 85Cohort Studies
Max 72Reviews of Case-Control Studies
Max 63Case-Control Studies
Max 58Cross-Sectional & Case Series
Max 50Expert Opinion
Max 50 / 100
Quality score
Based on clinical experience or non-systematic literature reviews. The lowest level of evidence as they are most susceptible to bias and personal perspective.
Key takeaways
Summary
Based on the study abstract and findings.
- 1This oil has a fatty acid profile similar to some plant oils and contains valuable nutrients like vitamin E, making it a possible sustainable food ingredient.
- 2They got 50.33% oil from the bugs.
- 3The oil was mostly made of oleic acid (36.82%), palmitic acid (23.88%), and linoleic acid (22.07%).
- 4It had lots of cholesterol (83.8% of sterols) and some vitamin E (γ-tocopherol: 223.31 mg/kg).
Score breakdown, methodology, conflicts of interest, evidence analysis & raw study data
Publication
Journal
European Journal of Lipid Science and Technology
Year
2025
Authors
Derya Deniz Şirinyıldız, A. Yorulmaz
Related Content
Claims (4)
Hexane is used to extract oils from plants in food manufacturing and is not required to appear on ingredient labels because regulators classify it as a processing aid.
When locusts are processed with hexane at 30°C for 80 minutes using a solvent-to-solid ratio of 17:1, they yield 50.33% oil whose fatty acids are mostly oleic, palmitic, and linoleic acid, and whose triglycerides primarily contain ECN 48, 46, and 44 molecular species.
Oil from the migratory locust contains 12,638.66 milligrams of sterols per kilogram, of which 83.80% is cholesterol. It also contains 223.31 milligrams of γ-tocopherol per kilogram and smaller amounts of α-tocopherol.
The primary fat molecules in locust oil consist mainly of three specific triglyceride compounds made from palmitic, oleic, and linoleic acids, present in measured proportions of 14.97%, 12.72%, and 11.79% respectively.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making health decisions.