ArticlePDF Available

Evaluation on Nutritional Value of Field Crickets as a Poultry Feedstuff

Authors:
  • Northwest A&F University

Abstract and Figures

The proximate analysis, amino acid content and true amino acid digestibility and TMEn for poultry of adult Field crickets Gryllus testaceus Walker, were investigated. The insect was also used as partial replacement of protein supplements in the broiler diet on an equal CP percentage and TMEn basis. The results indicated that the adult insect contained: crude protein 58.3%; fat 10.3%, chitin 8.7% and ash 2.96% on dry matter basis, respectively. The total amounts of methionine, cystine and lysine in the Field crickets were 1.93%, 1.01% and 4.79%, respectively, and their true digestibility coefficients, determined in cecectomized roosters, were 94.1%, 85% and 96%, respectively. The TMEn of this insect meal was 2,960 kcal/kg determined in cecectomized roosters. When cornsoybean meal diets were formulated on an equal CP percentage and TMEn basis, up to 15% Field cricket could replace control diet without any adverse affects on broiler weight gain, feed intake or gain:feed ratio from 8 to 20 d posthatching.
Content may be subject to copyright.
667
INTRODUCTION
With the high rate at which the world population was
growing, the world food supply should grow at the same
rate if not faster. The most affected from these would be the
people in the so-called third world countries. Therefore it
was essential that cheaper sources of protein and other
nutrients be found. This could be obtained from the plant
materials in abundance (Rama Rao et al., 2004) or
utilization of the wastes (Cho et al., 2004). However, insects,
which were said to have a huge quantity in the nature,
should be given priority in this quest. In fact, insects have
played an important role in nutrition, especially in areas
where human and domestic animal populations were
subjected to chronic protein deficiency (DeFoliart et al.,
1975; Conconi et al., 1984; DeFoliart et al., 1989). Though
the chemical composition and nutritional value of some
insects have been extensively investigated in various parts
of the world (Phelps et al., 1975; Finke et al., 1985;
DeFoliart et al., 1989;), more attention was paid to use
insects as feedstuff (DeFoliart et al., 1982; Landry et al.,
1986; Nakagaki et al., 1987). Compared to those insects, the
Field cricket (Gryllus testaceus walker) occurs in dense in
most areas of China and could be easily harvested in a
considerable amount. Furthermore, it could be mass rearing
under controlled condition according to our previous work.
Therefore, we conducted the study on its nutritional profile
and protein quality for poultry to demonstrate the
nutritional value of Field cricket.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Materials
Insect samples were adults of Field cricket G. t e s t a c e u s
(50% male and female respectively), collected in Yangling
district of Shannxi province in China. Shortly after
collection, samples were stored at -20°C until required for
analysis. Before analyses samples were washed with tap
water, rinsed with distilled water, oven dried at 50°C for 72
h and ground to a 80 mesh size.
Other feedstuffs were purchased from Huaqing feed
company of Shannxi province in China.
Chemical analysis
The ash, fat content and crude protein for field cricket
and other feedstuffs were analyzed according to the
procedures of AOAC (1990). Amino acids (AA) were
determined with a Beckman Amino Acid Analyzer (121 MB,
from America) after hydrolyzing with 6 N hydrochloric acid
for 22 h at 110°C. Methionine and cystine were analyzed by
using formic acid (9 parts of 88% formic acid plus 1 part
30% hydrogen peroxide) protection prior to acid hydrolysis
(6 N hydrochloric acid for 22 h at 110°C). Chitin was
prepared and determined by the methods of Wang et al.
(2001).
True amino acid digestibility and TMEn
The precision-fed rooster experiments were conducted
to determine the TMEn and true amino acid digestibility
(TAAD) according to the methods of Douglas (1997). The
Field cricket and fishmeal were respectively crop-intubated
(30 g) to cecectomized roosters for the true digestibility of
amino acid and TMEn. Adult Single Comb White Leghorn
roosters were used for the experiments, and excreta were
collected for 48 h after incubation. Gross energy was
Evaluation on Nutritional Value of Field Crickets as a Poultry Feedstuff
Dun Wang1, 3, *, Shao Wei Zhai1, 2, Chuan Xi Zhang3, Yao Yu Bai3, Shi Heng An3 and Ying Nan Xu2
1College of Forest, Northwest Sci-Tech University of Agriculture and Forestry, Shannxi Yangling 712100, P. R. China
ABSTRACT : The proximate analysis, amino acid content and true amino acid digestibility and TMEn for poultry of adult Field
crickets Gryllus testaceus Walker, were investigated. The insect was also used as partial replacement of protein supplements in the
broiler diet on an equal CP percentage and TMEn basis. The results indicated that the adult insect contained: crude protein 58.3%; fat
10.3%, chitin 8.7% and ash 2.96% on dry matter basis, respectively. The total amounts of methionine, cystine and lysine in the Field
crickets were 1.93%, 1.01% and 4.79%, respectively, and their true digestibility coefficients, determined in cecectomized roosters, were
94.1%, 85% and 96%, respectively. The TMEn of this insect meal was 2,960 kcal/kg determined in cecectomized roosters. When corn-
soybean meal diets were formulated on an equal CP percentage and TMEn basis, up to 15% Field cricket could replace control diet
without any adverse affects on broiler weight gain, feed intake or gain:feed ratio from 8 to 20 d posthatching. (Asian-Aust. J. Anim. Sci.
2005. Vol 18, No. 5 : 667-670)
Key Words : Field Cricket, Composition Analysis, Amino Acid Digestibility, Growth Performance, Poultry
* Corresponding Author: Dun Wang. Tel: +86-571-86971697,
Fax: +86-13175119081, E-mail: wanghandecn@yahoo.com.cn
2 College of Animal Science, Zhejiang university, Hangzhou,
310029, P. R. China.
3 Institute of Applied Entomology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou
310029, P. R. China.
Received September 20, 2004; Accepted December 22, 2004
WA N G ET AL .
668
determined by using a bomb calorimeter. TAAD were
calculated according to the method of Sibbald (1979), and
TMEn was calculated by the method of Parsons et al.
(1982). Endogenous energy and AA were determined from
roosters that were deprived of feed for 48 h.
Insect meal substitution assay
The second experiment was conducted to determine the
growth performance of broilers fed experimental diets. 200
one-week-old Arbor Acres broilers were used in this broiler
experiments.
The room temperature ranged from 20°C to 23°C. Feed
and water were supplied ad libitum and light was provided
24 h daily. The broilers were fed a 21.3% CP pretest diet
(control diet) during the first 7 d posthatching. Following
overnight fasting, the broilers were wing-banded, randomly
selected, weighed in groups of five and transferred to wire
cages for dietary treatments. The broilers of two adjacent
cages were considered an experimental replicate and the
four diets were fed to five replicates of 10 broilers from 8 to
20 d posthatching (50 broilers per treatment). The broiler
feeding trials were designed for three levels of replacements
of protein source by insect meal (5%, 10% and 15%) when
substituted for corn and soybean meal (Table 1). Diets
containing insect meal were formulated to be equal in
TMEn and CP percentage to the control diet. The TMEn,
CP and digestible amino acid values used for the insect
meal and fish meal were those values determined in the
precision-fed rooster assays, respectively, described above.
TMEn, CP and digestible amino acid values for corn and
soybean meal and the TMEn for soybean oil were analyzed
prior to initiation of the experiment.
Statistical analysis
All data from the experiments were analyzed using the
ANOVA procedure of SAS (SAS Institute, 1990) for
completely randomized designs. Statistical significances of
differences among treatments were assessed using the
Duncan’s multiple-range test.
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
Proximate composition analysis of field cricket
The proximate composition of Field cricket was listed
in Table 2. The crude protein percentage of Field cricket
was 58.3% on a dry basis, comparable with those of
conventional protein feed supplements, soybean meal, meat
and bone meal and fishmeal. This cricket was higher than
percentages of proteins reported for many insects, such as
58% protein content found in Mormon cricket Anabrus
simplex Haldeman (DeFoliart et al., 1982) and a protein
contents range of from 49.4% to 58.1% six larvaes of
species belonged to Lepidoptera (Landry et al., 1986), but
was somewhat lower than protein contents of some species,
Table 1. Composition of diets for insect meal substitution assay
Ingredients Control diet 5% insect meal 10% insect meal 15% insect meal
Ground corn 57.29 57.66 58.43 59.59
Soybean meal 22.50 21.10 18.50 15.30
Fish meal 10.00 6.00 3.00 -
Insect meal - 5.00 10.00 15.00
Soybean oil 7.10 6.70 6.20 5.80
Ground limestone 1.00 1.20 1.20 1.40
Dicalcium phosphate 1.00 1.30 1.70 2.00
Salt 0.40 0.40 0.40 0.40
Vitamin mix1 0.20 0.20 0.20 0.20
Trace mineral mix2 0.15 0.15 0.15 0.15
DL-methionine 0.28 0.24 0.20 0.16
L-lysine 0.08 0.05 0.02 -
Calculated composition
CP 21.3 21.3 21.3 21.0
Ca 1.00 1.00 1.00 1.00
Nonphytate P 0.60 0.60 0.60 0.60
Digestible lysine 1.16 1.16 1.16 1.16
Digestible met+cys 0.91 0.91 0.91 0.91
TMEn (kcal/kg) 3,210 3,210 3,210 3,210
1 Provided per kg of diet: vitamin A (from vitamin A acetate) 4,400 IU; cholecalciferol (as activated animal sterol) 1,000 IU; vitamin E (from dl-alpha
tocopheryl acetate) 11 IU; vitamin B12 0.01 mg; riboflavin 4.41 mg; niacin 22 mg; pantothenic acid 10 mg; menadione (from menadione
dimethylpyrimidinol) 1.0 mg; folic acid 0.9 mg; thiamin (from thiamine mononitrate) 1.0 mg; pyridoxine (from pyridoxine hydrochloride) 2.0 mg.
2 Provided per kg of diet: Mn (from manganese oxide) 75 mg; Zn (from zinc oxide) 75 mg; Fe (from iron sulfate) 50 mg; Cu (from from copper sulfate) 5
mg; I (from ethylene diamine dihydroiodide) 1 mg; Se (from sodium selenite) 0.2mg.
3 The Ca and P values for fish meal, corn and soybean meal were derived from the NRC (1994). The TMEnof soybean oil, corn and soybean meal were
analyzed to be 8,370 kcal/kg, 3,250 kcal/kg and 2,240 kcal/kg respectively. The CP of corn and soybean meal were determined to be 8.5% and 46.8%
respectively. The other values were previously analyzed and listed in Table 2 to Table 4.
FIELD CRICKETS FOR POULTRY
669
for examples, 62% protein content in House cricket Acheta
domesticus L. (Nakagaki et al., 1987) and 68% protein
content in silkworm pupae (Wei and Liu, 2001). The results
also indicated that the fat and, thus, energy content was
higher in this insect powder than in the conventional protein
supplements in all cases (Table 2). Chitin was used as a
toxin binder and chitin supplementation significantly
diminished the adverse effects of aflatoxin (Khajarern et al.,
2003). The chitin content of this insect was 8.7%, and
whether the insect chitin played a role of toxin binder or
contributed any effects to broiler growth performance still
needed further study.
Amino acid profile
Total amino acid profiles for Field cricket and fishmeal
were shown in Table 3. The amino acids percentages of
Field cricket were higher than those of fishmeal except for
histidine. The percentage of lysine, methionine and cysteine
were 4.79%, 1.93% and 1.01% respectively in Field cricket
while they were 4.51%, 1.59% and 0.49% in fishmeal,
indicated that the essential amino acids of this insect were
adequate for poultry. Contrastively, the earlier studies
showed that the essential amino acid of Mormon cricket and
house cricket were deficient in methionine (DeFoliart et al.,
1982; Finke et al., 1985; Nakagaki et al., 1987). For
example, the percentage of lysine and methionine were
3.48% and 0.93% respectively (Cysteine was not reported,
Nakagaki et al., 1987) in House cricket. In addition, the
essential amino acids of larval of six species of Lepidoptera
were deficient in methionine, cysteine and possibly lysine
(Landry et al., 1986). Thus, Field cricket had an advantage
on amino acid composition compared with other insects
reported, that was, Field cricket contained high quantity of
protein.
True digestibility of field cricket
Our first rooster experiment was for true amino acid
digestibility coefficients and TMEn values of the insect and
the results were shown in Table 4. The true amino acid
digestibility coefficients for essential amino acids ranged
from 82% for cysteine to 99% for asparagine. The TMEn of
the Field cricket was found to be 2,960 kcal/kg as measured
in conventional birds. Most of the TAAD coefficients for
Field cricket were higher than those for fishmeal except for
isoleucine, tyrosine, serine and glutamic acid. The average
of TAAD coefficients of Field cricket (92.9%) was higher
than that of fish meal (91.3%). It revealed that the Field
cricket contained not only high quantity of protein but also
considerable amounts of digestible amino acid for poultry.
Growth performance of broilers fed experimental diets
In the second broiler experiment where insect meal
Table 2. Chemical analysis of Field cricket compared with other
feedstuffs (g/100 g, dry matter basis)1
Content %
Proximate analysis Ash Chitin Fat Crude
protein
Field cricket 2.96 8.7 10.3 58.3
Fish meal 12.51 - 4.11 60.2
Meat and bone meal 31.65 - 8.47 48.5
Soybean meal 6.13 - 1.84 46.8
1 All the values were the means of five determinations.
Table 3. Amino acid profile of Field cricket compared with fish
meal (g/100 g, dry matter basis)1
%
Amino acid
profile Field cricket (CP: 58.3)
AA percentage2
Fish meal (CP: 60.2)
AA percentage
Arg 3.68 3.24
His 1.94 3.7
Ile 3.09 2.33
Leu 5.52 4.20
Lys 4.79 4.51
Met 1.93 1.59
Cys 1.01 0.49
Phe 2.86 2.35
Tyr 3.94 1.72
Thr 2.75 2.25
Val 4.42 2.62
Asp 6.29 4.77
Ser 3.72 2.06
Glu 9.07 6.02
Ala 5.55 3.33
Pro 4.50 2.71
Gly 3.62 3.11
1 All the values were the means of five determinations.
2 AA means amino acid.
Table 4. True amino acid digestibility coefficients and TMEn for
Field cricket and fish meal1
TAAD2
Components Field cricket Fish meal Pooled SEM
Arg 93.6 90.8 2.3
His 96.2 93.3 2.7
Ile 89.1 90.1 1.7
Leu 93.6 93.5 4.4
Lys 96.0 92.0 2.2
Met 94.1 93.1 3.2
Cys 85.0 83.7 2.1
Phe 93.2 91.0 4.1
Tyr 92.7 93.2 3.2
Thr 95.3 91.7 2.4
Val 94.4 91.7 2.4
Asp 96.0 90.2 1.9
Ser 90.6 91.4 2.6
Glu 89.9 91.7 3.7
Ala 96.4 94.5 2.9
Pro 91.0 88.2 1.0
Mean 92.9 91.3
TMEn 2,960 2,820
1 The true amino acid digestibility was the mean of five cecectomized
roosters, expressed on an air-dry basis.
2 TAAD means true amino acid digestibility.
WA N G ET AL .
670
replaced partial protein supplement on an equal of CP
percentage and TMEn basis, broilers growth were not
significantly affected among diets with up to 15% insect
meals (Table 5). These results agree with previous research
on broiler (Finke et al., 1985) that were no significant
differences in weight gain or feed/gain ratios between
broilers fed corn-cricket diets and those fed reference diets.
Nakagaki et al. (1987) reported that gain/feed ratios
improved significantly when diets were supplemented with
methionine and arginine and based on an equal of TMEn
and CP percentage. The difference of gain/feed ratios
between our research and Nakagaki’s (1987) was probably
due to difference of the insect species and the supplemented
amino acids, methionine and arginine. However, it was
ascertained that the protein of Field cricket had no adverse
effect as a feedstuff.
CONCLUSION
Our results indicated that the Field cricket contained not
only certain quantity of protein but also considerable
amounts of digestible amino acid. The Field cricket had an
advantage on composition of amino acids for poultry,
especially the percentage of lysine, methionine and cysteine,
so it might be a new source of dietary nitrogen for poultry,
at least would be extremely beneficial as a complement to a
domestic animal diet and could be fitted in to meal patterns
in a variety of ways. For this reason, the utilization of the
insect resource as feed was practical and helpful for the
protein deficiency for some area, especially the poverty
region.
REFERENCES
AOAC. 1990. Official Methods of Analysis. 15th edn. Association
of Official Analytical Chemists, Arlington, Virginia.
Cho, Y. M., G. W. Lee, J. S. Jang, I. S. Shin, K. H. Myung, K. S.
Choi, I. H. Bae and C. J. Yang. 2004. Effects of Feeding Dried
Leftover Food on Growth and Body Composition of Broiler
Chicks. Asian-Aust. J. Anim. Sci. 17:386-393.
Conconi, J. R. E. de, J. M. Pino Moreno, C. M. Mayaudon, F. R.
Valdez, M. A. Perez, E. E. Prado and H. B. Rodriguez. 1984.
Protein content of some edible insect in Mexico. J. Ethnobiol.
4:61-72.
DeFoliart, G. R. 1975. Insects as source of protein. Bull. Ent. Soc.
Am. 21(3):161-163.
DeFoliart, G. R. 1989. The human use of insects as food and as
animal feed. Bull. Ent. Soc. Am. 35:22-35.
DeFoliart, G. R., M. D. Finke and M. L. Sunde. 1982. Potential
value of the Mormon cricket (Orthoptera:Tettigoniidae)
harvested as a high protein feed for poultry. J. Econ. Entomol.
75:848-852.
Douglas, M. W., M. L. Johnson and C. M. Parsons. 1997.
Evaluation of protein ang energy quality of rendered spent hen
meals. Poult. Sci. 76:1387-1391.
Finke, M. D., G. R. DeFoliart and M. L. Sundae. 1985. An
evaluation of the protein quality of mormon cricket (Anabrux
simplex H.) when used as a high protein feedstuff for poultry.
Poult. Sci. 64:708-712.
Khajarern, J. M., S. Khajarern, T. H. Moon and J. H. Lee. 2003.
Effects of Dietary Supplementation of Fermented Chitin-
chitosan (FERMKIT) on Toxicity of Mycotoxin in Ducks.
Asian-Aust. J. Anim. Sci. 16:706-713.
Landry, S. V., G. DeFoliart and M. L. Sundae. 1986. Larval protein
quality of six species of Lepidoptera (Saturniidae, Sphingidae,
Noctuidae). J. Econ. Ent. 79(3):600-604.
Nakagaki, B. J. and G. R. DeFoliart. 1987. Protein quality of the
house cricket Acheta domesticus when fed to broiler roosters.
Poult. Sci. 66:1367-1371.
Parsons, C. M., L. M. Potter and B. A. Bliss. 1982. True
metabolizable energy corrected to nitrogen equilibrum. Poult.
Sci. 6:2241-2246.
Phelps, R. J., J. K. Struthers and J. L. Moyo. 1975. Investigations
into the nutritive value of Macrotermes falciger (Isoptera-
Termitidae). Zool. Africana 10(2):123-132.
Rama Rao, S. V., M. V. L. N. Raju, M. R. Reddy and A. K. Panda.
2004. Replacement of Yellow Maize with Pearl Millet
(Pennisetum typhoides), Foxtail Millet (Setaria italica) or
Finger Millet (Eleusine coracana) in Broiler Chicken Diets
Containing Supplemental Enzymes. Asian-Aust. J. Anim. Sci.
17:836-842.
SAS Institute Inc. 1990. SAS User Guide: Statistics. Version 6, 4th
Edition. SAS Institute Inc., Cary, North Carolina.
Sibbald, I. R. 1979. A bioassay for available amino acids and true
metabolizable energy in feedstuffs. Poult. Sci. 58:668-673.
Wang, D., J. J. Hu and M. T. Liu. 2001. Preliminary research of
preparation chitin from Field cricket. J. Northwest Sci-Tech
Univ. Agri. For. (Nat. Sci. Ed.). 29:63-65. (In Chinese, with
English abstract).
Wei, M. C. and G. Q. Liu. 2001. The Research and Exploitation of
Insect Protein. J. Central South Forestry Uni. 21:86-90 (In
Chinese, with English abstract).
Table 5. Growth performance of broilers fed a diet containing
different amounts of insect meal on an equal TMEn and digestible
amino acid basis1
Diets Weight gain (g) Feed intake Gain:feed
(g/kg)
Control diet 351 568 0.618
5% insect meal 357 575 0.621
10% insect meal 352 558 0.631
15% insect meal 351 576 0.609
Pooled SEM 3 9 0.008
1 Means of five groups of ten broilers, average initial weight=96 g.
... However, the nutritional composition and nutritive value of insects may exhibit variations due to factors such as taxonomic order, rearing conditions, developmental stage (larvae versus adult form), feed source, and processing conditions. Cricket producers favour common mass-produced crickets (Gryllus sigillatus) due to their hearty production, ease of care, and resistance to the Acheta domesticus densovirus, which negatively affects cricket producers by causing widespread mortality (Wang et al. 2005;Weissman et al. 2012). Wang et al. (2005) included cricket meal (CM, Gryllus testaceus) in broiler diets at dietary inclusion levels of 5%, 10%, and 15%, substituting this ingredient for corn and SBM and monitored the growth performance of the chickens from day 8 to day 20. ...
... Cricket producers favour common mass-produced crickets (Gryllus sigillatus) due to their hearty production, ease of care, and resistance to the Acheta domesticus densovirus, which negatively affects cricket producers by causing widespread mortality (Wang et al. 2005;Weissman et al. 2012). Wang et al. (2005) included cricket meal (CM, Gryllus testaceus) in broiler diets at dietary inclusion levels of 5%, 10%, and 15%, substituting this ingredient for corn and SBM and monitored the growth performance of the chickens from day 8 to day 20. Weight gain and feed-to-gain ratio were not different among broilers fed any treatment, indicating CM could effectively replace SBM. ...
... There is a lack of nutritional information for Gryllus sigillatus and their use in broiler chicken feed and subsequent effects on broiler growth, internal morphology, and meat quality (Wang et al. 2005;Weissman et al. 2012). We hypothesized that cricket meal would be a suitable feed ingredient for use in broiler chicken diets with minimal influence on growth performance parameters, health-related parameter, or meat quality, but that there may be a maximum inclusion level for this feed ingredient, after which we may observe a reduction in performance. ...
Article
Full-text available
Cricket (Gryllus sigillatus) meal (CM) was fed to Ross 308 broiler chickens (n = 624 total; 26 birds/pen) at dietary inclusion rates of 0% (non-medicated control; NM), 0% (medicated control; 0.05% virginiamycin, 0.03% monensin; M), 5%, 10%, 15%, and 20% CM (non-medicated) for 35 days to determine the impact of this novel feed ingredient on the growth, feed intake, organ indices, and meat quality of these chickens. The final average live weight of broilers fed 5% CM was lower than broilers fed the 10% CM (P < 0.05) and the 0% NM diets (P < 0.05). Total weight gain was lowest in chickens fed 5% CM (P < 0.05) and the % ratio of the weight of the small intestine to body weight of the chickens fed 5% CM was significantly higher on day 20 than that of the other treatments (P < 0.05). Meat texture and colour were not affected by dietary treatments. Cooking loss in birds fed the 10% CM diet was significantly higher than that of birds fed the 0% NM control. Feeding up to 20% CM did not alter the growth, organ indices, or meat quality of broiler chickens, although further research is required to determine whether including >20% CM in the diet will produce similar results.
... Recent research confirmed that insect meal is a potential source to replace fishmeal in aquafeeds (Nogales-Merida et al. 2019). Moreover, it is comparable to fishmeal in terms of adequate protein, amino acid, fatty acid, vitamin, and mineral contents with high digestibility (Akinawa and Ketiku 2000;Wang et al. 2005;Nogales-Merida et al. 2019) and high feed conversion efficiency (Katayama et al. 2008). Besides, it is economically practical due to its short life cycle and lower production cost (Taufek et al. 2017). ...
... The final weights of 70FC and 100FC were significantly higher than that of the control, and WG, DWG, RWG, and SGR were statistically similar to each other (P < 0.05). The EAA composition of the FCM is comparable to FM (Table 2), and the results agree with those of previous research (Wang et al. 2005;Taufek et al. 2017;. Lysine and methionine are the key EAAs responsible for fish growth, and lower levels of the above EAA contents in feed reduce fish growth and feed efficiency (NRC 2011). ...
Article
Full-text available
Insect meal has been identified as one of the cutting-edge alternatives to substitute fishmeal (FM) in aquafeeds. However, the potential of FM replacing with field cricket meal (FCM) related to Calta catla fry stage has yet to be researched. Therefore, an eight-week experiment was designed to evaluate the performance of C. catla fry (0.22 ± 0.04 g/fish). The protein content of the FM of the control feed (0FCM) was replaced with 35% (35FCM), 70% (70FCM), and 100% (100FCM) of FCM. All the fish were hand-fed by respective research diets 5% of the body weight twice daily. Results showed that FCM could replace wild-caught fishmeal (67.1% crude protein) without adversely affecting growth performance, carcass composition, liver functions, and disease tolerance. Though in vivo protein digestibility significantly decreased (P<0.05) when the FCM percentage increased in the feed, it did not affect the performance of the fish. Therefore, FCM could be used to prepare fish-free feed in the C. catla fry stage. However, optimum technical know-how should be identified to certify the accessible and economically viable mass-scale production of FCM.
... Agonoscelis pubescens (sorghum bug) only contain 27.0 and 28.2% protein, respectively (Mariod et al., 2011). Cricket species that are widely cultivated as feed include field cricket (Gryllus sp.) (Wang et al., 2005;Taufek et al., 2018), mormon cricket (Anabrus simplex), tropical cricket or banded crickets (G. sigillatus) (Kilburn et al., 2020), and house cricket (A. ...
Article
Full-text available
Entomophagy (consumption of insects) has been proposed as one of the important solutions to the food crisis caused by population growth. Despite a long history of insect consumption, numerous challenges have arisen that question the feasibility of using insects as a food source. It should be notifying that Acheta domesticus (house cricket) is recently approved by Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2022/188 as a novel food ingredient. Gaining a comprehensive understanding of the house cricket is paramount for fostering a proper appreciation of its potential as a food source. This review aims to provide comprehensive and in-depth information on the house cricket, covering various aspects such as its consumption, bioecology, nutritional value, health benefits, harvesting and rearing, and processing methods for use as a food source. Additionally, the consumer acceptance of house cricket will be discussed and specific information on why it has gained approval in the European Union will also be provided. The consumption of crickets has a long history as both food and feed. They are environmentally friendly to rear, making them an attractive option for human consumption. House cricket, in particular, holds promise as a sustainable alternative to traditional farming and conventional food sources due to its nutritional and pharmaceutical properties. Different processing methods enhance its potential. However, there are challenges regarding public acceptance, which can be overcome through diverse processing techniques and applications. Further research and efforts are needed to expand the acceptance and application of A. domesticus.
... Generally, mealworm larvae contain about 33-43% lipids and 46-49% proteins, whereas crickets consist of about 10-23% lipids and 60-70% proteins (Rumpold and Schlüter, 2013). Apart from basic nutrients, these insect species also represent a good source of vitamins, minerals (Rumpold and Schlüter, 2013), and chitin, which accounts for about 5% of the dry matter (DM) of mealworm larvae (Son et al., 2021) and about 9% in crickets (Wang et al., 2005). Besides the particular species, the DM nutrient content of these insects may be affected by feed and also by sex, as females of A. domesticus were found to have a higher proportion of lipids and a lower proportion of proteins than males (Kulma et al., 2019). ...
Article
The effect of insect powder addition on the acrylamide formation in leavened and unleavened wheat bread and on the content of its main precursors in raw material was investigated. The samples under study were prepared form wholemeal wheat flour supplemented with 5, 8, and 12% of field cricket or yellow mealworm powder. The addition of both insects increased the content of reducing sugars and free amino acids, except for asparagine, the limiting factor of acrylamide formation in cereal products, which was lower in the samples with the greatest cricket and mealworm supplementation than in the control wheat flour (242.4 and 177.9 vs 249.6 mg/kg). For unleavened bread, an increase in acrylamide was recorded with the highest share of cricket and mealworm compared to the control (up to 14.03 and 29.52 vs 11.02 μg/kg). Conversely, for leavened bread, the variants most supplemented with cricket and mealworm exhibited the lowest acrylamide content relative to the control (64.84 and 68.78 vs 82.47 μg/kg). It is indicated by the results that the supplementation of bakery products with insects enriches their nutritional value and does not pose a risk of increased acrylamide intake by consumers.
... They have been utilized as a protein source for small pets like reptiles, birds, and small mammals [140]. Orthopteran insects, including locusts, crickets, and grasshoppers, are highly nutritional and frequently utilized as part of pet and zoo animal diets [141]. Table 4 provides a summary of research conducted on the inclusion of insects in pet food for dogs and cats. ...
Article
Full-text available
Edible insects are a highly nutritious source of protein and are enjoyed by people all over the world. Insects contain various other nutrients and beneficial compounds, such as lipids, vitamins and minerals, chitin, phenolic compounds, and antimicrobial peptides, which contribute to good health. The practice of insect farming is far more resource-efficient compared to traditional agriculture and animal husbandry, requiring less land, energy, and water, and resulting in a significantly lower carbon footprint. In fact, insects are 12 to 25 times more efficient than animals in converting low-protein feed into protein. When it comes to protein production per unit area, insect farming only requires about one-eighth of the land needed for beef production. Moreover, insect farming generates minimal waste, as insects can consume food and biomass that would otherwise go to waste, contributing to a circular economy that promotes resource recycling and reuse. Insects can be fed with agricultural waste, such as unused plant stems and food scraps. Additionally, the excrement produced by insects can be used as fertilizer for crops, completing the circular chain. Despite the undeniable sustainability and nutritional benefits of consuming insects, widespread acceptance of incorporating insects into our daily diets still has a long way to go. This paper provides a comprehensive overview of the nutritional value of edible insects, the development of farming and processing technologies, and the problems faced in the marketing of edible insect products and insect foods to improve the reference for how people choose edible insects.
... It has been observed that arginine and methionine in Acheta domesticus improved the feed conversion ratio in poultry feed which was later supported by multiple researchers as seen in Table 1. Thus, positive results have been noted when 15% of grasshopper (Acridia cinerea) (Wang et al., 2007) cricket (Anabrux simplex)/ Gryllus testaceus (Wang et al., 2005) meal has been included in the meal fed to broiler chicken. ...
... Salah satu kandidat sumber protein adalah pemanfaatan serangga. Potensi penggunaan serangga sebagai sumber protein telah banyak dilaporkan (Wang et al., 2005;Oyegoke et al., 2006;Premalatha et al., 2011). Protein yang bersumber dari serangga lebih ekonomis, dan bersifat ramah lingkungan (Van Huis, 2013). ...
Article
merupakan kelompok yang membudidayakan pembesaran ikan gurami dan ikan lele. Kelompok ini memiliki masalah dalam penyedian pakan ikan. Pengabdian masyarakat ini bertujuan memberikan ketrampilan dalam budidaya larva Hermentia illucens sebagai pakan alternatif untuk ikan. Metode yang digunakan dalam pengabdian kepada masyarakat ini adalah sosialisasi program, paparan materi, pembutan demplot budidaya larva Hermentia illucens, pendampingan, dan evaluasi program. Evaluasi diberikan dengan memberikan pre-test dan post-test. Melalui transfer pengetahun dan praktek langsung dalam bentuk demplot, POKDAKAN memiliki pengetahuan dan ketrampilan dalam cara penetasan telur black soldier fly (BSF), manajemen pemeliharaan larva usia 1-7 hari, larva sebelum fase prepupa dan pupa, menetaskan pupa menjadi BSF, manajemen pemeliharaan BSF, menstimulasi BSF bertelur. Selain itu mitra memiliki ketrampilan dalam pengembangan rak inkubasi telur, modifikasi pembuatan biopond, modifikasi tempat bertelur, dan mampu memilih media yang tepat untuk pertumbuhan larva. Dengan demikian dapat disimpulkan bahwa POKDAKAN sudah memiliki pemahaman dan keterampilan dalam budidaya larva Hermentia illucens. Guna untuk memanfaatkan larva Hermentia illucens sebagai pakan ikan maka POKDAKAN berkomitmen akan menambahkan siklus budidaya larva teserbut agar mempoleh induk yang cukup digunakan menghasilkan telur. Kata Kunci: BSF, Budidaya Hermentia illucens, POKDAKAN, Pemberdayaan
Article
This study investigates the potential of brewer’s spent grain (BSG) as a cost-effective alternative to soybean meal in the diets of house crickets ( Acheta domesticus ) to enhance sustainable cricket rearing. BSG, a by-product of the brewing industry, was chosen due to its local availability and high protein content (38%). Here, the impacts of varying levels of BSG substitution (0%, 10%, 20% and 30%) on the growth performance, nutrient utilisation, chemical composition, and volatile compound profiles of crickets over a 45-day period was assessed. Crickets were reared under controlled conditions and divided into five groups, each receiving one of the experimental diets. Growth performance parameters, including body weight, average daily gain, and feed conversion ratio, were measured. Chemical analysis of the crickets and their diets was conducted, focusing on protein efficiency ratio, apparent dry matter digestibility (ADMD), and nitrogen retention. Volatile compounds were identified using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Crickets fed BSG diets exhibited higher protein deposition and lower fat content compared to those on a commercial diet, suggesting BSG’s potential to improve protein quality while reducing fat accumulation. ADMD was also higher in BSG-fed crickets, likely due to the prebiotic effects of components such as β-glucans and arabinoxylans. Additionally, the inclusion of BSG up to 30% in cricket diets reduced production costs by up to 29% compared to a commercial diet. Volatile compound analysis revealed that crickets fed BSG diets produced different odour profiles, with 2-heptanone, a compound with a fruity aroma, detected only in BSG-fed crickets. These findings suggest that BSG is a viable and sustainable ingredient for cricket feed, offering both economic and nutritional benefits while also influencing the sensory characteristics of crickets. Further research is recommended to optimise BSG inclusion levels and explore its broader applications in insect and animal farming.
Article
This study explores the potential of cricket meal and black soldier fly larvae meal (BSFLM) as alternative protein sources in broiler chicken diets. With the use of the substitution method, using diatomaceous earth as an external marker, we investigated the nutrient availability and apparent metabilizeable energy content of oven-dried full-fat cricket meal (OD-CM), freeze-dried full-fat cricket meal (FD-CM), and defatted BSFLM in a feeding trial involving 320 Ross 308 broilers housed in 32 pens (8 replicates / treatment; 8 birds / pen). Feed intake, daily weight gain, and feed conversion ratio were measured between days 15 and 21. Excreta collected on days 19, 20, and 21 were analyzed for nutrient content. Both cricket treatments were high in crude protein. Additionally, FD-CM demonstrated the highest fat content, surpassing OD-CM. OD-CM displayed a significantly higher apparent digestibility coefficient for crude protein compared to BSFLM ( ). FD-CM had the highest apparent digestibility coefficient for gross energy ( ). The nitrogen-corrected apparent metabolizable energy of OD-CM and FD-CM were significantly higher than that of BSFLM ( ). Furthermore, OD-CM exhibited a significantly higher available crude protein content compared to BSFLM and FD-CM ( ). This research sheds light on the potential of OD-CM and FD-CM as valuable alternative protein sources for broiler chickens, providing critical insights for the poultry industry’s sustainable future. This research is important as the apparent digestibility coefficients, as well as available nutrients calculated for the three ingredients may be used to accurately formulate poultry diets on an available nutrient basis.
Article
The aquaculture sector faces sustainability challenges due to unsustainable feedstuffs. To address this, there's a continuous search for alternatives to traditional aquafeed protein sources such as fishmeal. Clostridium autoethanogenum is a novel aqua-feed protein source with a long-standing application in the bio-energy industry. With 80-89% crude protein content on a dry matter basis, Clostridium autoethanogenum protein (CAP) has gained attention in nutrition research for aquaculture species. This study aimed to review CAP utilization in aquafeed, examining its nutritional value and impacts on aquatic animals' growth, feed efficiency, digestion, absorption, and immune response. Research suggests promising potential for CAP in aquafeed, showing potential for achieving complete fishmeal replacement without compromising growth performance and immune response in select aquaculture species. Nonetheless, higher inclusion levels show adverse effects on the health status of certain fish species, indicating variability among species to utilize CAP-based diets. Further investigations are required to understand this variability in outcomes reported among species.
Article
Full-text available
An experiment was made to determine if the basic methodology of the bioassay for true metabolizable energy (TME) can be applied to the measurement of available amino acids (AAA) in feedingstuffs. Administration of graded levels of glucose (0–30 g) had no effect on the excretion of 13 AA by adult roosters. Feeding graded levels of soybean meal, alone or in combination with glucose, caused linear increases in AA excretion. Methods of measuring AAA are described and the importance of correcting for metabolic and endogenous AA excretion is discussed. A bioassay for AAA which may be combined with the measurement of TME is described.
Article
Full-text available
Two broiler chick feeding trials were conducted to determine the protein quality of dried house cricket meal. The first used semipurified diets to identify limiting amino acids. There were no significant differences in weight gain of chicks fed diets with amino acid additions, but feed:gain ratios indicated that arginine, methionine, and tryptophan were probably limiting. In the second experiment, dried house cricket meal was incorporated into practical diets replacing soybean meal as the major source of protein. There were no significant differences in weight gain between chicks fed corn-soybean meal diet and those fed corn-cricket diets. Feed:gain ratios improved significantly when diets were supplemented with methionine and arginine.
Article
Full-text available
A study was conducted to examine the effects of the correction of excreta energy to nitrogen equilibrium in the determination of true metabolizable energy (TME). Roosters and laying hens were fed diets consisting of a standard layer ration blended with increasing amounts of dehulled soybean meal ranging from 0 to 100%. Dry matter digestibility, nitrogen retention, and apparent metabolizable energy were greater for females than the males. For males and females, dehulled soybean meal had values for dry matter digestibility of 50.1 and 52.0%, TME of 3.087 and 3.145 kcal/g dry matter, metabolizable energy corrected to nitrogen equilibrium (MEn) of 2.683 and 2.719 kcal/g dry matter, and TME corrected to nitrogen equilibrium (TMEn) of 2.890 and 2.946 kcal/g dry matter, respectively. The differences between TME and TMEn values were due to larger nitrogen losses from nondietary sources by fasted birds than by fed birds. Thus, the metabolic fecal and endogenous urinary energy as measured from the fasted birds provides a larger correction than justified for accurate TME determinations. The difference between the TME and the TMEn in this study explains in part the previously reported abnormally high values for TME over MEn. Thus, MEn appears to be a more accurate measurement of metabolizable energy than TME.
Article
Full-text available
Two feeding trials were conducted to evaluate the protein quality of Mormon crickets (Anabrus simplex Haldeman) when fed to broiler chicks. The first trial was designed to identify the limiting amino acids in Mormon crickets using purified diets. The basal diet was supplemented with amino acids based on an amino acid analysis of Mormon crickets and preliminary feeding trials, and the results indicated that methionine and arginine were probably colimiting. In the second experiment Mormon crickets were incorporated into practical diets replacing soybean meal as the major source of protein. In an 8-week feeding trial the corn-cricket diet compared favorably with a corn-soybean meal diet with no significant differences in weight gain or feed/gain ratios. There was no adverse effect on the taste of the meat from birds fed the corn-cricket diet as determined by a taste panel.
Article
Full-text available
An experiment was conducted to study the performance of broilers chicks (2 to 42 d of age) fed diets containing pearl millet (PM, Pennisetum typhoides), foxtail millet (FOM, Setaria italica) or finger millet (FIM, Elusine coracana) totally replacing (w/w) yellow maize (YM) with and with out supplementing non-starch polysaccharide (NSP) hydrolysing enzymes at the rate of 0.5 g/kg diet. Enzyme preparation contained amylase 2,400 units, hemi-cellulase 5,400 units, cellulase 12,000 units, protease 2,400 units and beta-glucanase 106 units/g. Each diet was fed to eight replicates (five female Vencob broilers/replicate) housed in stainless steel battery brooders. The estimated metabolizable energy (ME) contents of YM, PM, FOM and FIM were FM (PM) were about 3,389, 2,736, 3,303 and 2,846 kcal/kg, respectively. Total replacement of YM with FOM did not influence the body weight gain, ready to cook yield, relative weights of giblet, liver, intestine, lymphoid organs (bursa and spleen) and length of intestine, antibody titers and livability at 42 d of age. But the food efficiency decreased significantly in FOM fed broilers compared those fed YM. Further, the fat content in thigh muscle reduced with FOM fed groups compared to those fed YM. The performance of broilers decreased significantly in PM and FIM fed broilers compared to those fed YM. The relative weights of giblet, gizzard and liver increased in FIM fed groups compared to those fed YM as the principal source of energy in broilers. Incorporation of NSP hydrolysing enzymes in commercial broiler diets improved the efficiency of feed utilization during starter phase but not at 42 d of age. The results thus indicate that yellow maize can be replaced in toto on weight basis in commercial broiler diets without affecting the performance. Supplementation of NSP hydrolysing enzymes was beneficial in enhancing feed utilization during the starter phase.
Article
A study was undertaken to determine the composition of the body material of alates of Macrotermes falciger and to investigate the nutritional value of termite material when fed to white rats. Termites were found to contain 44,3 % fat and 41,8 % protein, on a dry mass basis, and to have a calorific value of 3,2 ± 0,042 Megajoules/100 g. Incorporating termite material into commercial rat pellets at various levels produced no adverse effects on the rats. A full amino-acid analysis of termite protein is given and three unidentified amino-acids were recorded. A protein efficiency ratio of 1,7± 0,1 was obtained for termite protein, and digestibility of termite material was found to be poor, compared to that of casein, when fed to white rats.
Article
Two experiments were conducted to evaluate the efficacy of dietary FERMKIT, a commercial toxin binder consisting of probiotic-fermented natural product containing chitin, chitosan and chitosan oligosaccharides (FERMKITO?, EASY-BIO SYSTEM, Inc., Korea), in binding aflatoxin (AF) and zearalenone (ZEN) and ameliorating their mycotoxicity in meat type ducks. FERMKIT was supplemented to AF contaminated diets (at 120 ppb) at either 0.3 or 0.6% in experiment 1 and to ZEN contaminated diets (at 150 ppb) at 0.6% in experiment 2. In experiment 1 body weight gains were reduced by 37% and mortality was increased by 18% in ducks fed diet contaminated with AF at 120 ppb compared to ducks fed control diet (
Article
This study was conducted to investigate the effects of feeding dried leftover food (DLF) on growth, body composition and feed conversion of broiler chicks. One hundred ninety-six of one-day old Ross broiler chicks were assigned to 7 treatments in a completely randomized design. Each treatment had four replications with seven chicks per replication. The treatments groups included control without DLF, dietary 10% level of DLF, dietary 20% level of DLF and dietary 30% level of DLF, 5% higher protein level of diet containing 10% DLF, 10% higher protein level of diet containing 20% DLF and 15% higher protein level of diet containing 30% DLF than control diet. Body weight gain was slightly higher in control group than that of DLF-fed groups. However, there were no significant differences in body weight gain among those groups fed diets containing different levels of DLF. In general, increasing dietary level of DLF resulted in decreasing feed conversion. Content of crude protein in whole broiler body was slightly higher in control group although any significant difference was not found among treatments (p>0.05). Content of crude fat in whole broiler body was lowest in groups fed diets containing 30% DLF with 15% higher protein level than control diet, showing significant difference from groups fed diets containing 20% DLF (p0.05). Fatty acid contents in broiler meat were higher in the order of oleic acid, palmitic acid and linoleic acid without significant differences among treatments. Content of DHA in broiler meat was higher in groups fed diets containing DLF than that of control group although there were no significant differences among treatments (p>0.05).