Dietary Protein Levels in Isoenergetic Diets Affect the Performance, Nutrient Utilization and Retention of Nitrogen and Amino Acids of Hermetia illucens (L.) (Diptera: Stratiomyidae) Larvae

Insects, Journal Year: 2025, Volume and Issue: 16(3), P. 240 - 240

Published: Feb. 25, 2025

Black soldier fly, H. illucens larvae, efficiently convert low-value organic substrates into high-value products, offering solutions to global challenges in sustainable food production and biotechnology. This study investigated the impact of dietary protein levels (10%, 14%, 16%, 20% crude protein, CP) on BSFL growth, nutrient utilization, energy retention using isoenergetic diets (18.5 ± 0.3 MJ/kg dry matter) under commercial-scale conditions. Larvae were harvested after 8 days feeding, with 5 replicates per treatment. Optimal growth performance feed conversion ratios observed larvae fed 14% CP diet, a quadratic relationship between biomass gain (p < 0.001, R2 = 0.870). Ash calcium deposition peaked CP20-fed lowest CP14-fed larvae. Phosphorus glucosamine remained unaffected, while chitin correlated positively larval weight. Nitrogen amino acid highest but reduced 0.573–0.902). CP10-fed showed impaired nitrogen increased fat deposition. These findings establish CP14 diet as optimal formulation for scalable production, providing critical insights effects physiology enabling development efficient feeding strategies industrial-scale farming.

Language: Английский

Rapid Evolutionary Adaptation to Diet Composition in Black Soldier Fly (<em>Hermetia illucens</em>)

Published: Aug. 22, 2023

Genetic adaptation of Hermetia illucens (BSF) to suboptimal single sourced wastes can open new perspectives for insect production. Here, four replicate BSF lines were maintained on a sourced, low-quality wheat bran diet (WB) or high-quality chicken feed (CF) 13 generations. We continuously evaluated evolutionary responses in several performance traits rearing at the two diets. Subsequently, we tested interchanged diets, i.e. larvae that had been adapted and high quality vice versa evaluate costs associated with adaptation. found experience rapid composition. While performances WB always inferior CF diet, adaptive re-sponses stronger former diet. This response was likely due se-lection pressure experienced by fed The experiment no but confirmed larval biomass frass treatment. Our results revealed rapidly adapt through responses, which has potential be utilized produce tailored specific

Language: Английский