Abstract
Currently, soybean meal constitutes the main protein source for poultry production. However, the environmental and social issues related to soybean production are calling for more sustainable protein sources that can offset soybean requirements in animal production. Hermetia illucens larvae and the microalga spirulina (Arthrospira platensis) have proven to be effective alternatives to soybean meal for poultry production. In this study, the effect of 100% replacement of soy with partially defatted Hermetia illucens larvae and spirulina on the contents of selected endogenous bioactive (anserine, creatine and carnosine) and flavour-related (inosine and inosine-5´-monophosphate, IMP) compounds in chicken breast meat was evaluated. The results showed that the spirulina-based diet lowered the levels of anserine, carnosine and creatine compared to the control diet (3.3 vs. 4.1 mg/g, 0.15 vs. 0.72 mg/g and 1.49 vs. 2.49 mg/g, respectively) while IMP levels tended to be higher in spirulina-fed samples. Compared to the control group, Hermetia illucens-fed samples showed a lower content of bioactive peptides (anserine: 3.6 vs. 4.1 mg/g; carnosine: 0.39 vs. 0.72 mg/g; creatine: 2.03 vs. 2.49 mg/g), albeit to a lesser extent than the spirulina treatment group.
Highlights
Soybean meal (SBM) is included in the majority of poultry diets as the primary source of protein. the high nutritional value of soybean as a plant protein source guarantees efficient production, the social and environmental impact of the soybean industry has led to the need for more sustainable protein sources [1]
Hermetia illucens larvae and the microalga spirulina (Arthrospira platensis, SP) have shown great potential as possible alternative protein feeds to be used in poultry production [2,3,4,5,6,7,8]
Creatine showed a similar trend to carnosine, with SP samples exhibiting the lowest content (p < 0.001)
Summary
Soybean meal (SBM) is included in the majority of poultry diets as the primary source of protein. the high nutritional value of soybean as a plant protein source guarantees efficient production, the social and environmental impact of the soybean industry has led to the need for more sustainable protein sources [1]. Soybean meal (SBM) is included in the majority of poultry diets as the primary source of protein. Hermetia illucens (black soldier fly, HI) larvae and the microalga spirulina (Arthrospira platensis, SP) have shown great potential as possible alternative protein feeds to be used in poultry production [2,3,4,5,6,7,8]. Replacement of soybean meal by HI larvae with a proper amino acid supplementation can result in a superior growth, feed conversion ratio and protein deposition [9]. A dietary substitution with SP and amino acid supplementation only resulted in comparable body weights and a feed conversion ratio similar to that of the SBM control group. Great strides in understanding the effects of larvae and microalgae have emerged from an animal nutrition and physiology standpoint, to the best of our knowledge, the scientific literature still offers scarce information regarding the content of bioactive substances in meat products derived from the feeding of these biomasses
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