Food security is the main concern of government due to malnutrition worldwide. The aim of this study was to assess macronutrients and amino acids in five species of grasshoppers, consumed in rural and urban communities. Samples were captured in different agro climatic environment conditions, wherever vegetation grows, and the macronutrients were raw, analyzed in dry basis by the AOAC methods and amino acids by cation exchange chromatography. The obtained data showed a high protein content, ranging from 70% to 75%; lipids 4% to 6%; minerals 3% to 5%; fiber 6% to 8% and soluble carbohydrates 6% to 18%, including essential amino acids that play an important role in human metabolism, with tryptophan as limiting factor. The different species of the studied grasshoppers are high in proteins, essential macromolecules for human life that decrease protein-energy malnutrition; the excess of amino acids after releasing the amino group will provide energy, as well as soluble carbohydrates. They also have minerals that are needed to prevent anemia, and fiber, non-digestible carbohydrates essential in a healthy diet. In conclusion, the daily consumption of 5 or 6 grasshoppers is a good source of nutrients that will provide optimal health to population.

Currently for bacterial identification and classification the rrs gene encoding 16S rRNA is used as a reference method for the analysis of strains of the genus Nocardia. However, it does not have enough polymorphism to differentiate them at the species level. This fact makes it necessary to search for molecular targets that can provide better identification. The sodA gene (encoding the enzyme superoxide dismutase) has had good results in identifying species of other Actinomycetes. In this study the sodA gene is proposed for the identification and differentiation at the species level of the genus Nocardia. We used 41 type species of various collections; a 386 bp fragment of the sodA gene was amplified and sequenced, and a phylogenetic analysis was performed comparing the genes rrs (1171 bp), hsp65 (401 bp), secA1 (494 bp), gyrB (1195 bp) and rpoB (401 bp). The sequences were aligned using the Clustal X program. Evolutionary trees according to the neighbour-joining method were created with the programs Phylo_win and MEGA 6. The specific variability of the sodA genus of the genus Nocardia was analysed. A high phylogenetic resolution, significant genetic variability, and specificity and reliability were observed for the differentiation of the isolates at the species level. The polymorphism observed in the sodA gene sequence contains variable regions that allow the discrimination of closely related Nocardia species. The clear specificity, despite its small size, proves to be of great advantage for use in taxonomic studies and clinical diagnosis of the genus Nocardia.

Escamoles, ant eggs (Liometopum apiculatum M), are edible insects consumed in great numbers and appreciated for their sensory characteristics, but not for their nutritional value. In Mexico, they reproduce in arid and semi-arid zones of Mexico and several states (Puebla, Tlaxcala, Hidalgo). Samples were gathered to determine reproduction conditions and perform an insect analysis to generate data composition in macronutrients, on dry basis, according to AOAC methods. The obtained data were: proteins: 42.12-50.63%; lipids: 30.27-34.96%; minerals: 6.53-7.85%; fibres: 1.91-2.56%; and soluble carbohydrates: 6.80-18.27%. Entomological material was collected in spring 2014, 3 nests for each zone, all from different altitudes and agroclimatic regions. Samples were representative for the insect supply in the areas studied. Insects are high in proteins and lipids, compared with most of the commonly consumed food, due to their high content of fatty acids; they must be refrigerated for later consumption. Minerals are moderated. Fibre and soluble carbohydrate levels are low, but an excess of proteins can be converted into carbohydrates via gluconeogenesis. Escamoles reproduce once a year in the spring, but sometimes one nest can provide escamoles eggs twice in the same season, once at the beginning and again at the end, depending on the biotic and abiotic conditions of their environment. Escamoles are a good source of nutrients; however, some rural people sell them to obtain extra income rather than consume them to improve their nutritional condition and welfare.

Nocardia species are aerobic, Gram-positive bacteria with branched filaments reported as opportunistic microorganisms associated with infectious diseases of the skin. We report the isolation of N. wallacei in Mexico from a 43-year-old man, an HIV-positive construction worker who sought care for difficulty breathing and abundant sputum.