IUCrJ, a journal from the International Union of Crystallography (IUCr), recently published a paper studying the milk from the viviparous cockroach named Diploptera punctata. This can only be produced by the Pacific beetle cockroach who are the only type of the species that give birth to live offspring. I’ll bet cockroach milk is the last and most horrifying example you could imagine. The mothers provide food for their young via a milky substance containing crystals packed with protein, sugar and fat, much like mammalian mothers do for their babies with breast milk. “At least not as we think of it”. Research is showing, however, that milk from lactating cockroaches-yes, there is a species of the creepy crawler that lactates-offers a high protein content and turns into energy in the body nearly immediately.
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When compared at the same weight, cockroach milk contains three times as much energy as buffalo milk, one of the animal kingdom’s most highly protein-packed milks.
Cockroaches are infamous for their ability to thrive in any condition surviving without food for a month, therefore it makes sense that they could produce a formula as protein-rich as this. “It is important for its growth and development”, said Leonard Chavas, one of the researchers behind the project. This liquid is taken by the developing embryo and the protein crystals start to build up in the gut. Following tests and even genome sequencing, they discovered it was a complete food.
Ultimately, however, Chavas and his team are hoping to reverse bioengineer cockroach milk, but first they need to understand the exact biological and chemical mechanisms underlying the process.
It might not be as enticing as a fresh kale and ginger smoothie but cockroach milk is set to become the next super food, according to findings from scientists in India.
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“The crystals are now extracted from the midgut of cockroach embryos – perhaps not the most efficient way of feeding a growing world population”, says CNN.
