Dietary Insect Meal Research Articles

Black soldier fly larvae meal can replace fish meal in diets of sea-water phase Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar)

A feeding trial was conducted to test the growth potential, nutritional utilization, liver health and fillet sensory parameters of sea-water Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L.) fed diets with increasing substitution of fish meal with insect meal. The insect meal was produced from black soldier fly larvae (Hermetia illucens, L.). Triplicate sea-cages of salmon were fed one of four isonitrogenous and isolipidic diets for 16 weeks. The control diet (IM0) contained 100 g kg−1 fish meal, which was replaced up to 100% with insect meal (33% (IM33), 66% (IM66) and 100% (IM100)), corresponding to dietary insect meal inclusion levels at 50 g kg−1, 100 g kg−1 and 150 g kg−1, respectively. Replacing the dietary fish meal with insect meal did not affect the apparent digestibility coefficients (ADC) of protein, lipid, amino acids and fatty acids, or the digestive enzyme activities. Feed intake, daily growth increase, and feed conversion ratio were also unaffected by the inclusion of insect meal in the diets. Whole body protein, lipid and amino acid composition were not affected by dietary substitution of fish meal with insect meal, while the whole body fatty acid composition generally reflected that of the diets. Liver lipid accumulation was not affected by replacing the fishmeal with insect meal, as assessed by both histological examinations and chemical analyses. The sensory testing of the fillet revealed only small changes in the fillet sensory quality. In general, this study showed that a total replacement of fish meal with black soldier fly larvae meal in the diets of sea-water Atlantic salmon was possible without negative effects on growth performance, feed utilization, nutrient digestibility, liver traits or the sensory qualities of the fillet.

Modulation of intestinal microbiota, morphology and mucin composition by dietary insect meal inclusion in free-range chickens

BackgroundGut health in poultry depends on the balance between the host, intestinal microbiota, intestinal microscopic features and diet. The effects of insect meal (a promising alternative protein source for poultry feed) on chicken gut morphology have recently been reported, but no data about intestinal microbiota and mucin composition modulation are available. The present study evaluated the effects of dietary Tenebrio molitor (TM) meal inclusion on gut health of free-range chickens by intestinal microbiota, morphology and mucin composition characterization.ResultsOne hundred forty female medium-growing hybrids were divided into 2 dietary treatments (control feed [C] and 7.5% TM inclusion, with 5 replicate pens/treatment and 14 birds/pen) and slaughtered at 97 days of age (2 birds/pen for a total of 10 chickens/diet). The gut microbiota assessment on cecal content samples by 16S rRNA amplicon based sequencing showed higher alpha (Shannon, P < 0.05) and beta (Adonis and ANOSIM, P < 0.001) diversity in birds fed TM diet than C. In comparison with C group, TM birds displayed significant increase and decrease, respectively, of the relative abundances of Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes phyla, with higher Firmicutes:Bacteroidetes ratios (False Discovery Rate [FDR] < 0.05). The relative abundance of Clostridium, Oscillospira, Ruminococcus, Coprococcus and Sutterella genera was higher in TM chickens than C (FDR < 0.05). On the contrary, TM birds displayed significant decrease of the relative abundance of Bacteroides genus compared to the C group (FDR < 0.05). Gut morphology evaluation by morphometric analysis on small intestine revealed similar villus height, crypt depth and villus height to crypt depth ratio between C and TM birds. Characterization of gut mucin composition by periodic-acid Schiff, Alcian Blue pH 2.5 and high iron diamine staining on small and large intestine showed unaffected mucin staining intensity in TM chickens when compared to C group.ConclusionsDietary TM meal inclusion may positively modulate the gut microbiota of the free-range chickens without influencing the intestinal morphology and mucin composition. Since the rapid growth of chickens directly depends on morphological and functional integrity of the digestive tract, the gut health assessment by a post mortem multidisciplinary approach appears to be fundamental.

Potential of insect-based diets for Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar)

In the present study, we aimed to assess the effect of dietary insect meal (IM) and insect oil (IO) on growth performance, body composition and nutrient digestibility of freshwater reared Atlantic salmon. The IM and IO were produced from black soldier fly larvae (Hermetia illucens, L.; BSF) that had been grown on (1) media containing organic waste streams, or on (2) media partially containing seaweed (Ascophyllum nodosum). The feeding trial of the current study followed a factorial 2 × 3 way-ANOVA experimental design with six dietary groups of Atlantic salmon fed diets with insect-derived ingredients for 8 weeks. A typical industrial diet, with protein from fish meal and soy protein concentrate (SPC) (50:50) and lipids from fish oil and vegetable oil (33:66), was fed to a positive control group. Five experimental diets were formulated, where 85% of the dietary protein was replaced by IM and/or all the vegetable oil was replaced by IO (IM from insects grown on media 1, IO from insects grown on either media 1 (IO1) or media 2 (IO2)). Replacing the dietary fish meal and SPC with insect protein significantly reduced the apparent digestibility coefficients (ADC) of protein, lipid and all amino acids investigated, though remained highly digestible. There were, however, only small differences due to protein or lipid source in growth performance, and no effects of insect ingredients on feed intake or feed conversion ratio. Inclusion of IM-based diets significantly increased both hepatosomatic index and visceral somatic index of Atlantic salmon. Proteinase activity in the intestine was not affected by dietary inclusion of BSF larvae meal, while leucine aminopeptidase activity was lower in fish fed with insect ingredients than the control group. Whole-body protein, lipid, amino acids and minerals contents were not affected by protein or lipid source. In general, this study showed that protein meal and oil from BSF larvae hold a great potential as a source of nutrients for Atlantic salmon.

Modulation of Intestinal Microbiota, Morphology and Mucin Composition by Dietary Insect Meal Inclusion in Free-Range Chickens

Modulation of Intestinal Microbiota, Morphology and Mucin Composition by Dietary Insect Meal Inclusion in Free-Range Chickens

Does dietary insect meal affect the fish immune system? The case of mealworm, Tenebrio molitor on European sea bass, Dicentrarchus labrax

Feeding small European sea bass, Dicentrarchus labrax, for 6 weeks with Tenebrio molitor larval meal showed significant anti-inflammatory responses (ceruloplasmin, myeloperoxidase and nitric oxide). Serum bacteriolytic activity against a Gram negative bacterium was not significantly affected by dietary Tenebrio, while both lysozyme antibacterial activity and serum trypsin inhibition usually linked to the anti-parasite activity of the fish, were significantly enhanced. The latter may be due to the similarities in the composition of the exoskeleton of parasites and insects that may therefore act as an immunostimulant potentially increasing the anti-parasitic activity. The addition of exogenous proteases significantly decreased both trypsin-inhibition and serum bacteriolytic activity probably through direct inhibition of the proteins responsible for these immune functions. Further investigation involving bacterial or parasitic challenges will be necessary to assess if the effects of dietary mealworm meal on the immune system observed in the present study are translated into an improved resistance to diseases.