EAS Journal of Nutrition and Food Sciences Abbreviated Key Title:EAS J Nutr Food Sci ISSN: 2663-1873 (Print) & ISSN: 2663-7308 (Online) Published By East African Scholars Publisher, Kenya Volume-2 | Issue-5 | Sep-Oct; 2020 | DOI: 10.36349/easjnfs.2020.v02i05.001 *Corresponding Author: Mariam D. Solomon 217 Research Article Nutrient Potential and Economic Benefit of Varies Coleoptera (Grub Worm): Implication for Food Security Mariam D. Solomon 1 *, Lokta D. Solomon 2 , Kiri H. Jaryum 1 , Jonathan D. Dabak 1 , Sarah H. Sambo 1 1 Department of Biochemistry, University of Jos, P.M.B 2084, Jos, Nigeria 2 Department of Chemistry, University of Jos, Nigeria Article History Received: 30.08.2020 Accepted: 11.09.2020 Published: 30.09.2020 Journal homepage: https://www.easpublisher.com/easjnfs Quick Response Code Abstract: Worms, grubs, insects and insects larvae are traditionally important foods and tasty treats for many cultures and individuals around the world and are gaining popularity for their high nutritional values. Their potential is seriously being considered in food security and poverty alleviation strategies in many communities around the world. The nutritional and economic potentials of these abundant creature are yet to be fully realized and tapped especially in the face of climate change. Varies coleoptera is one of the grub worms commonly found in animal dung. The study was aimed at evaluating the nutrient composition of V.coleoptera and to unveil its potential as a strategy to mitigate nutritional and food insecurity. Live grub worms were hand-picked from animal dung dumps in the months of July/August. They were washed, gut squeezed out, boiled in saltwater for three minutes, set out to dry and rusted in an oven at 60 o C for ten minutes. The processed sample was analyzed for its proximate nutrient content, amino acid, fatty acid and mineral element profiles using standard procedures. Proximate composition showed that processed ready-to- eat V.coleoptera contains 49.2% crude protein, 26.34% crude fat, 19.2% Nitrogen Free Extract(NFE), 2.1% crude fibre,5.48% ash and caloric value of 509.8 Kcal. All the essential and non essential amino acids and some fatty acids were found to be present in the grub worms. Mineral elements range between 0.06% - 22.9%. These include sodium, sulphur, iron, zinc, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium and copper. It is concluded that processing and consumption of grub worms could supplement nutrient contents and intake of a variety of staple foods of indigenous communities where it is found and consumed. When properly harnessed and large scale production and commercialization are explored, it can be a source of livelihood for families especially in poor resource settings that can help mitigate food insecurity. Keywords: Nutrient, Grub worm, Food Security Copyright © 2020 The Author(s): This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC 4.0) which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium for non-commercial use provided the original author and source are credited. INTRODUCTION The need to feed a growing global population inevitably places continuous pressure on plant and animal food sources, which contribute to the degradation of natural resources (FAO 2009a). This is further compounded by global warming, climate change and recently, global pandemic and Lockdowns. It is estimated that by 2050, the world population will hit nine billion people, which would lead to reduced available farmland and increased additional need for food (Kourimskaa, L., & Adamkovab, A. 2016). This will continue to pose challenge to food and nutrient security, poverty, malnutrition and disease burden in many countries of the world especially the underdeveloped and developing ones. Over the years, FAO has focused activities on improving food and nutritional security that will provide more ecologically sound food and environmentally sustainable food system, and recommended that edible insects fit comfortably within this and, by extension, ought to be considered prime candidates as food staples and supplements, as well as more generally for their role in sustainable diets (FAO 2009b). The great diversity of insects, worms and caterpillars that abound in many regions, climates and seasons of the world, and their rich nutrient composition can be harnessed to mitigate the challenges pose by climate change, food and nutritional insecurity, poverty and disease burden especially in poor-resource households and communities. Already, eating of insects, worms and caterpillars is common and a popular delicacy in Africa, Asia and Latin America, where it is estimated that insects form about 5-10% of protein consumed (FAO 2013). Small scale Processing and selling of this large