Abstract
Black soldier fly (Hermetia illucens) larvae are a promising source of protein and lipid for animal feeds. The nutritional composition of the BSF larvae depend partly on the composition of the feeding medium. The BSF lipid profile in part mimics the feeding media lipid profile, and micronutrients, like minerals and vitamins, can readily accumulate in black soldier fly larvae. However, investigative studies on bioconversion and accumulation of nutrients from media to black soldier fly larvae are scarce. Here we show that inclusion of the brown algae Ascophyllum nodosum in the substrate for black soldier fly larvae can introduce valuable nutrients, commonly associated with the marine environment, into the larvae. The omega-3 fatty acid eicosapentaenoic acid (20:5n-3), iodine and vitamin E concentrations increased in the larvae when more seaweed was included in the diet. When the feeding media consisted of more than 50% seaweed, the larvae experienced poorer growth, lower nutrient retention and lower lipid levels, compared to a pure plant based feeding medium. Our results confirm the plasticity of the nutritional make-up of black soldier fly larvae, allowing it to accumulate both lipid- and water-soluble compounds. A broader understanding of the effect of the composition of the feeding media on the larvae composition can help to tailor black soldier fly larvae into a nutrient profile more suited for specific feed or food purposes.
Highlights
The larva of black soldier fly (BSF, Hermetia illucens) is a scavenger, commonly used to accelerate composting of organic material
BSF larvae were fed on BA0 and transferred to BA100 24 hours before harvesting (24H), to detect how quickly the insect larvae could take up nutrients from the feeding medium
18.1 ± 0.6 15.2 19.9 ± 0.3
Summary
The larva of black soldier fly (BSF, Hermetia illucens) is a scavenger, commonly used to accelerate composting of organic material. BSF larvae can efficiently utilize organic resources, like fruit, vegetable and meat waste [1]. The BSF larvae can, depending on the feeding medium, contain high concentrations of lipids (>30% of dry weight, dw) and protein (around 40% of dw) [2,3]. Interest in using BSF larvae as a raw material for animal feed has increased, mainly due to its potential as a sustainable source of high-quality protein [4,5].
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