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Evaluation of Supplementation of Defatted Black Soldier Fly (Hermetia illucens) Larvae Meal in Beagle Dogs

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The objective of this experiment was to test the effects of supplementation of defatted black soldier fly (Hermetia illucens) larvae (BSFL) meal in beagle dogs. A total of nine healthy female beagles (initial body weight 12.1 ± 1.76 kg) were fed grain-based diets with three levels of BSFL meal (0, 1% or 2%) in a 42-day feeding trial. At the end of week 6 of the experiment, all dogs were intraperitoneally challenged with Escherichia coli lipopolysaccharide (LPS) at 100 μg/kg of body weight. Albumin concentration was linearly increased with increasing BSFL meal level (P<0.05). A linear increase (P<0.05) in calcium concentration was observed when increasing dietary BSFL meal. Although dietary treatments did not affect the digestibility of ether extract, the digestibility of dry matter and crude protein were linearly increased with increasing the level of BSFL meal. The concentration of tumor necrosis factor-α was linearly decreased but glutathione peroxidase (GPx) concentration was linearly increased when increasing the level of BSFL meal at 6 h after challenge (P<0.05). In addition, there were quadratic increases in concentrations of GPx and superoxide dismutase with increasing dietary BSFL meal level at 3 h after challenge (P<0.05). These findings from the present study demonstrate that BSFL meal can be supplemented in the diet to convert beneficial effects to beagle dogs, indicated as improved digestibility of dry matter and crude protein and anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidative capacity.
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Ann. Anim. Sci., Vol. 19, No. 3 (2019) 767–777 DOI: 10.2478/aoas-2019-0021
EVALUATION OF SUPPLEMENTATION OF DEFATTED BLACK
SOLDIER FLY (HERMETIA ILLUCENS) LARVAE MEAL IN BEAGLE
DOGS
X.J. Lei1,2, T.H. Kim3, J.H. Park2, I.H. Kim2♦
1College of Animal Science and Technology, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, 712100, People’s
Republic of China
2Department of Animal Resource and Science, Dankook University, Cheonan, 31116,
Republic of Korea
3Foodyworm Inc., Chopyeong-Myeon, Jincheon-Gun 27858, Republic of Korea
Corresponding author: inhokim@dankook.ac.kr
Abstract
The objective of this experiment was to test the effects of supplementation of defatted black soldier
y (Hermetia illucens) larvae (BSFL) meal in beagle dogs. A total of nine healthy female beagles
(initial body weight 12.1 ± 1.76 kg) were fed grain-based diets with three levels of BSFL meal
(0, 1% or 2%) in a 42-day feeding trial. At the end of week 6 of the experiment, all dogs were
intraperitoneally challenged with Escherichia coli lipopolysaccharide (LPS) at 100 μg/kg of body
weight. Albumin concentration was linearly increased with increasing BSFL meal level (P<0.05).
A linear increase (P<0.05) in calcium concentration was observed when increasing dietary BSFL
meal. Although dietary treatments did not affect the digestibility of ether extract, the digestibility
of dry matter and crude protein were linearly increased with increasing the level of BSFL meal.
The concentration of tumor necrosis factor-α was linearly decreased but glutathione peroxidase
(GPx) concentration was linearly increased when increasing the level of BSFL meal at 6 h after
challenge (P<0.05). In addition, there were quadratic increases in concentrations of GPx and su-
peroxide dismutase with increasing dietary BSFL meal level at 3 h after challenge (P<0.05). These
ndings from the present study demonstrate that BSFL meal can be supplemented in the diet to
convert benecial effects to beagle dogs, indicated as improved digestibility of dry matter and
crude protein and anti-inammatory and anti-oxidative capacity.
Key words: blood prole, digestibility, dogs, Hermetia illucens
Insects have been proposed as a promising, high quality, and efcient alternative
protein feedstuff for animal feeds (Charlton et al., 2015). Insects are such an alterna-
tive protein source because they can sustainably by reared on organic side streams
X.J. Lei et al.
768
and they have a favorable feed conversion efciency (Veldkamp et al., 2012). The
production of insects specically with the intention of being fed to livestock has been
the subject of evaluations for several decades (Veldkamp and Bosch, 2015; Cullere
et al., 2016; Khan et al., 2016).
The black soldier y (Hermetia illucens) can grow on a wide range of decompos-
ing organic materials, such as fruits, vegetables to kitchen wastes, and livestock ma-
nure (Martínez-Sánchez et al., 2011). Therefore, being potentially interesting in re-
ducing environmental criticisms by transforming waste into valuable biomass, black
soldier y is a high-quality animal protein feedstuff (Nguyen et al., 2015). Previous
studies have suggested that black soldier y larvae (BSFL) could be used as feed
ingredient for pigs (Józeak et al., 2016), poultry (Marono et al., 2017; Mwaniki
et al., 2018; Secci et al., 2018), and sh species (St-Hilaire et al., 2007; Renna et
al., 2017). Apart from the growing farm animals population, the population of pet
animals (dogs and cats) is also large and growing, therefore, the availability of high
quality and sustainable protein sources for pet food production is increasing in im-
portance (McCusker et al., 2014; Bosch et al., 2016; Leriche et al., 2017). Bosch et
al. (2014; 2016) indicated that the use of insects as protein sources in dog food is
drawing attention. Kröger et al. (2017) and Kierończyk et al. (2018) studied the ap-
plication of BSFL meal in dogs. To our best knowledge, however, the study of the
inclusion of BSFL meal into dog diet is still limited. Therefore, the aim of the present
experiment was to determine the effects of inclusion of 0, 1%, and 2% BSFL meal
in beagle dogs.
Material and methods
All the animal procedures were reviewed and approved by the Animal Care and
Use Committee of Dankook University (DK-1-1712).
Source of BSFL meal
The defatted BSFL meal used in the present study was provided by Foodyworm
Inc. (Seoul, Republic of Korea). The nutrient contents of BSFL meal is presented in
Tables 1 and 2.
Table 1. Chemical composition and amino acid concentration of black soldier y larvae meal
Item %
1 2
Moisture 7.93
Crude protein 53.64
Crude fat 13.43
Crude ash 11.02
Amino acids
aspartic acid 4.85
threonine 2.15
Black soldier y larvae in dogs 769
Table 1 – contd.
1 2
serine 2.35
glutamic acid 6.11
proline 2.89
glycine 2.69
alanine 3.62
valine 3.68
isoleucine 2.06
leucine 3.61
tyrosine 3.08
phenylalanine 2.19
histidine 1.60
lysine 3.42
arginine 2.73
cysteine 0.70
methionine 1.33
tryptophan 0.65
Table 2. Fatty acid components of black soldier y larvae meal
Item %
Saturated fatty acid
C8:0 0.01
C10:0 1.19
C12:0 29.61
C14:0 5.57
C15:0 0.12
C16:0 15.14
C17:0 0.26
C18:0 3.96
C20:0 0.06
Unsaturated fatty acid
C14:1 0.20
C15:1 0.15
C16:1 3.42
C17:1 0.19
C18:1 20.49
C18:2n6 13.07
C18:3n6 0.06
C18:3n3 2.43
C18:4n3 0.16
C20:1n9 0.61
X.J. Lei et al.
770
Experimental design, animals, and housing
A total of 9 female beagle dogs, in good general health, aged 15–18 months, with
initial body weight (BW) of 12.1 ± 1.76 kg were randomly allotted to one of three
dietary treatments with three replications per treatment and one beagle dog per rep-
lication (cage), according to initial BW. The dietary treatments included commercial
basal diets with 0, 1%, or 2% of BSFL meal. One month before the experiment,
all the dogs were fed the same commercial pelleted diet as the basal diet used in
the present study for the adaption. The commercial basal diet was formulated to
meet nutrient requirements in accordance with the Association of American Feed
Control Ofcials (AAFCO, 2009) nutrient guide for dogs. The nutrient level of the
basal diet is shown in Table 3. Experimental dogs were individually fed twice daily
(08:00 h and 16:00 h). Beagles were housed in cages (100 cm × 210 cm) that were
equipped with a feeder, a water bucket, and slatted plastic ooring in an environ-
mentally controlled room. Dogs were allowed free access to drinking water through-
out the experiment. Room temperature and relative humidity were maintained at
20 ± 3°C and 50 ± 10%, respectively. At the end of week 6 of the experiment, all
dogs were intraperitoneally injected with Escherichia coli lipopolysaccharide (LPS,
E. coli serotype 055: B5) at 100 μg/kg of BW.
Table 3. The analyzed nutrient level of basal diet (as-fed basis)
Item %
Dry matter 90.59
Crude protein 32.01
Crude fat 19.97
Crude ber 2.20
Crude ash 8.79
Calcium 1.96
Total phosphorus 1.26
Sampling and measurements
The apparent total tract digestibility (ATTD) was performed using the
total collection method (AAFCO, 2009). To estimate the ATTD of crude protein
(CP), dry matter (DM), and ether extract (EE), during the last 3 days of the
experiment, feces were collected at least two times daily and weighed. Fecal samples
from the same dog were pooled and mixed, after which fecal samples were
kept at –20°C until required for analysis. For chemical analysis, fecal samples
were oven-dried at 55°C for 72 h and ground to pass through a 1.0-mm screen (Lei
and Kim, 2018; Liu et al., 2018). Dietary and fecal samples were analyzed
for DM (method 930.15), CP (method 984.13), and EE (method 920.39) using
the AOAC (2007) method. The ATTD of DM, EE, and CP was calculated as fol-
lows:
ATTD of nutrient (%) = [(nutrient intake, g – nutrient excretion, g)/ nutrient intake, g]
× 100
Black soldier y larvae in dogs 771
At the end of week 6, blood samples were collected via jugular vein from each
dog in non-heparinized tubes. Blood samples were centrifuged at 1,500 × g for
20 minutes to get serum and then frozen at –20°C until further analysis (Kruger
et al., 2016). The concentrations of alanine transaminase (ALT), albumin, aspartate
transaminase (AST), bilirubin, blood urea nitrogen (BUN), globulin, glucose, and
protein were analyzed using commercially specic available enzyme-linked im-
munosorbent assay (ELISA) kits (Quantikine, R&D Systems, Minneapolis, MN,
USA). Serum high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), low-density lipoprotein
cholesterol (LDL-C), total cholesterol (TC), and triglyceride (TG) concentrations in
serum were determined enzymatically using reagent kits (Wako Pure Chemical In-
dustries Ltd., Tokyo, Japan). The amounts of calcium (Ca), chlorine (Cl), magnesium
(Mg), phosphorus (P), potassium (K), and sodium (Na) in serum were determined
by ame atomic absorption spectrophotometry (AA-6300, Shimadzu Corp., Tokyo,
Japan).
Before challenge and 3 and 6 h after challenge, blood was collected via jugular
vein from each dog into non-heparinized tubes. Then, blood samples were centri-
fuged at 1,500 × g for 20 minutes to get serum and then frozen at –20°C until analysis
(Kruger et al., 2016). The serum tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interleukin-6
(IL-6) concentrations were assessed using specic commercially available ELISA
kits (Quantikine, R&D Systems, Minneapolis, MN, USA) according to the manu-
facturer’s instructions. The concentrations of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glu-
tathione peroxidase (GPx) in serum were determined using commercial kits (Cell
Biolabs, Inc. San Diego, CA, USA) following the instructions.
Statistical analysis
All data were analyzed as a randomized complete block design using the general
linear model procedures of SAS (version 9.2, Institute Inc., Cary, NC, USA). The
individual beagle was considered as the experimental unit. Both linear and quadratic
polynomial contrasts were performed to determine the effects of a different level (0,
1%, and 2%) of BSFL in the diet. Variability in data was expressed as the pooled
standard error of the mean and a probability less than 0.05 was considered statisti-
cally signicant.
Results
The protein, glucose, globulin, BUN, bilirubin, AST, and ALT concentrations in
serum were not affected by dietary treatments (P>0.05; Table 4). However, albumin
concentration was linearly increased with increasing BSFL meal level (P<0.05). No
differences in blood cholesterol, triglyceride, HDL-C, and LDL-C were observed
among treatments (P>0.05; Table 5). The concentrations of tested minerals in blood
did not differ among dietary treatments with the exception of calcium (P>0.05; Table
6). With the increasing level of BSFL meal, a linear increase (P<0.05) in calcium
concentration was observed. Although the digestibility of EE was not inuenced by
dietary treatments, increasing the level of BSFL meal linearly increased the ATTD
X.J. Lei et al.
772
of DM and CP (Table 7). Before the challenge, the IL-6, TNF-α, SOD, and GPx
concentrations in serum did not differ among treatments (P>0.05; Table 8). How-
ever, the concentration of TNF-α was linearly decreased while GPx concentration
was linearly increased when increasing the level of BSFL meal at 6 h after challenge
(P<0.05). In addition, there were quadratic increases in concentrations of GPx and
SOD with increasing dietary BSFL meal level at 3 h after challenge (P<0.05).
Table 4. Effects of black soldier y larvae (BSFL) meal on selected serum parameters in beagle dogs
Item BSFL meal (%) SEM1P-value
0 1 2 linear quadratic
Protein (mg/mL) 64.84 63.42 62.21 0.102 0.270 0.664
Albumin (mg/mL) 28.11 32.12 36.8 0.134 0.017 0.609
Glucose (mg/mL) 0.83 0.80 0.77 0.023 0.456 0.933
Globulin (mg/mL) 35.01 31.32 25.94 0.191 0.062 0.867
Blood urea nitrogen (mg/dL) 0.06 0.06 0.08 0.007 0.290 0.496
Bilirubin (μg/mL) 0.98 1.02 0.97 0.091 0.898 0.876
Aspartate transaminase (U/mL) 0.03 0.03 0.03 0.002 0.336 0.464
Alanine transaminase (U/mL) 0.03 0.06 0.03 0.008 0.801 0.187
1SEM, standard error of the mean.
Table 5. Effects of black soldier y larvae (BSFL) meal on blood lipid proles in beagle dogs
tem (mg/mL) BSFL meal (%) SEM1P-value
0 1 2 linear quadratic
Cholesterol 1.79 1.54 1.84 0.079 0.828 0.176
Triglyceride 0.69 0.71 0.76 0.069 0.792 0.954
High-density lipoprotein cholesterol 1.32 1.26 1.31 0.134 0.871 0.583
Low-density lipoprotein cholesterol 0.17 0.12 0.13 0.017 0.415 0.475
1SEM, standard error of the mean.
Table 6. Effects of black soldier y larvae (BSFL) meal on mineral proles in beagle dogs
Item BSFL meal (%) SEM1P-value
0 1 2 linear quadratic
Calcium (mg/mL) 0.09 0.12 0.14 0.001 0.020 0.660
Phosphorus (mg/mL) 0.04 0.04 0.05 0.002 0.055 1.000
Sodium (mmol/mL) 0.15 0.15 0.15 0.001 0.070 0.656
Potassium (μmol/mL) 5.21 4.89 5.22 0.072 0.622 0.071
Chloride (mmol/mL) 0.11 0.11 0.11 0.001 0.386 0.151
Magnesium (mg/mL) 0.02 0.02 0.02 0.001 0.108 0.809
1SEM, standard error of the mean.
Black soldier y larvae in dogs 773
Table 7. Effects of black soldier y larvae (BSFL) meal on nutrient digestibility in beagle dogs
Item (%) BSFL meal (%) SEM1P-value
0 1 2 linear quadratic
Dry matter 71.97 74.55 75.21 2.964 0.017 0.992
Nitrogen 73.16 77.06 78.51 2.640 0.039 0.825
Ether extract 78.80 78.97 79.22 3.523 0.934 0.994
1SEM, standard error of the mean.
Table 8. Effects of black soldier y larvae (BSFL) meal on blood prole in beagle dogs challenged
with lipopolysaccharide
Item BSFL meal (%) SEM1P-value
0 1 2 linear quadratic
Interleukin-6 (pg/mL)
before injection 15.72 17.84 15.20 2.264 0.091 0.290
after 3 h 66.35 67.09 63.94 7.351 0.314 0.312
after 6 h 65.60 67.21 55.94 6.422 0.213 0.291
Tumor necrosis factor-α (pg/mL)
before injection 4.55 5.53 5.65 1.412 0.563 0.550
after 3 h 17.77 18.47 18.47 2.974 0.342 0.537
after 6 h 13.64 12.63 7.48 3.025 0.038 0.779
Superoxide dismutase (U/mL)
before injection 1.78 1.94 2.32 0.781 0.239 0.692
after 3 h 1.06 3.61 2.81 1.124 0.441 0.036
after 6 h 1.05 1.67 0.89 0.390 0.798 0.196
Glutathione peroxidase (nmol/min/mL)
before injection 58.96 54.76 55.01 5.261 0.849 0.894
after 3 h 3.11 6.72 3.64 0.754 0.989 0.034
after 6 h 42.12 50.94 53.05 4.642 0.014 0.371
Discussion
Black soldier y represents one of the most promising insect species that can be
used as a protein source for livestock and sh (Biancarosa et al., 2018). This study
evaluated the application of BSFL meal in beagle dogs. In this study, the protein, glu-
cose, globulin, BUN, bilirubin, AST, and ALT concentrations in serum were not in-
uenced by treatments, whereas albumin concentration was linearly increased when
increasing BSFL meal level. The increased concentration of albumin in the serum of
the dogs fed higher level of BSFL meal might have resulted from the increased ow
of protein to the intestine (Min et al., 2003). The blood lipid proles (concentrations
of cholesterol, HDL-C, LDL-C, and triglyceride) were not inuenced by treatments
X.J. Lei et al.
774
indicating that inclusion of BSFL meal had no harmful effects on lipid metabolism in
beagle dogs. Similarly, in sh and broilers, Li et al. (2016) and Dabbou et al. (2018)
observed that inclusion of BSFL oil did not inuence serum cholesterol, triglyceride,
HDL-C, and LDL-C contents in serum. In this study, the concentrations of phospho-
rus, sodium, potassium, chloride, and magnesium in blood were not inuenced by
treatments, whereas a linear increase in calcium concentration was observed when
increasing the dietary BSFL meal. Dabbou et al. (2018) indicated that inclusion of
defatted BSFL meal increased phosphorus content in serum of broilers, but the con-
centrations of calcium, magnesium, and iron did not differ from dietary treatments.
Schiavone et al. (2017) suggested that BSFL oil had no effects on serum phosphorus,
magnesium, and iron concentrations.
In this experiment, increasing the level of BSFL meal linearly increased the di-
gestibility of DM and N, but the digestibility of EE was not affected by treatments.
This indicates that providing BSFL meal has a positive effect on DM and CP digest-
ibility. However, Cutrignelli et al. (2018) completely replaced soybean meal with
BSFL meal and found that laying hens fed diet with BSFL meal showed lower appar-
ent ileal digestibility of DM and CP compared with hens offered diet without BSFL
meal, but lipid digestibility was not affected by treatment. The authors suggested
that the reductions in DM and CP digestibility were related to the chitin in the BSFL
meal which could negatively affect the nutrient digestibility (Longvah et al., 2011).
In broiler quails, Cullere et al. (2016) found that the digestibility of DM, and CP
were not affected by the inclusion of BSFL meal, whereas the digestibility of EE was
reduced by supplementation of BSFL meal. In addition, in weaned pigs, Spranghers
et al. (2018) observed that inclusion of 4% or 8% BSFL meal had no effects on ap-
parent ileal and total tract digestibility of DM and CP. Further studies are warranted
to test higher levels of BSFL meal on nutrient digestibility in beagle dogs.
Cytokines play an important role in the immune and inammatory response.
Previous studies have indicated that over-production of TNF-α (pro-inammatory
cytokine) has negative effects on intestinal integrity and epithelial function (Waititu
et al., 2016; Yu et al., 2017; Xu et al., 2018 a, b). In the present study, the concentra-
tion of TNF-α was linearly decreased when increasing the level of BSFL meal at
6 h after challenge. The down-regulation of TNF-α may indicate that inamma-
tion induced by LPS was alleviated. The concentration of GPx was linearly in-
creased when increasing the level of BSFL meal at 6 h after challenge. In addition,
there were quadratic increases in concentrations of GPx and SOD with increasing
dietary BSFL meal level at 3 h after challenge. The GPx and SOD are major an-
ti-oxidative enzymes in serum (Štukelj et al., 2013). The increased concentrations
of GPx and SOD may suggest that BSFL meal improved the anti-oxidative
capacity. Li et al. (2016) suggested that the improved anti-oxidative property in-
dicated as increased catalase activity in serum from sh by the inclusion of BSFL
meal could be attributed to the chitin and its derivatives in BSFL meal. In the pres-
ent study, the improved anti-oxidative capacity may be caused by the chitin and
its derivatives in BSFL meal, although the chitin in BSFL meal and experimental
diets was not specically analyzed (Khoushab and Yamabhai, 2010; Ngo and Kim,
2014).
Black soldier y larvae in dogs 775
In conclusion, these ndings from this study demonstrate that BSFL meal can
be supplemented in the diet to convert benecial effects to beagle dogs indicated as
improved ATTD of DM and CP and anti-inammatory and anti-oxidative capacity.
Acknowledgement
This work was supported by Korea Institute of Planning and Evaluation for Tech-
nology in Food, Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (IPET) through Agri-Bio Indus-
try Technology Development Program, funded by Ministry of Agriculture, Food and
Rural Affairs (MAFRA)(116151-2).
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Received: 19 XI 2018
Accepted: 4 III 2019
... Besides improving antioxidative properties in vivo, BSF has also been shown to reduce the expression of proinflammatory genes in animals, namely TNF-α and IL-1β. 84,86,88 Female beagle dogs fed a commercial basal diet with varying inclusions of BSF larvae meal for 6 weeks revealed a decrease in serum TNF-α concentration with increasing inclusions of BSF larvae meal, whereas in juvenile mirror carp, TNF-α and IL-1β were both significantly downregulated in the kidneys and hepatopancreas of fish given 12.5-25 g kg −1 of BSF larvae oil in their diets compared to those given 0-6.25 g kg −1 of BSF larvae oil. 84,88 On the other hand, BSF larvae oil significantly increased the expression of interleukin 10 (IL-10), the gene that encodes the anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10, in juvenile mirror carp. ...
... 84,86,88 Female beagle dogs fed a commercial basal diet with varying inclusions of BSF larvae meal for 6 weeks revealed a decrease in serum TNF-α concentration with increasing inclusions of BSF larvae meal, whereas in juvenile mirror carp, TNF-α and IL-1β were both significantly downregulated in the kidneys and hepatopancreas of fish given 12.5-25 g kg −1 of BSF larvae oil in their diets compared to those given 0-6.25 g kg −1 of BSF larvae oil. 84,88 On the other hand, BSF larvae oil significantly increased the expression of interleukin 10 (IL-10), the gene that encodes the anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10, in juvenile mirror carp. 86,88,89 Probing further into the anti-inflammatory potential of BSF,a composite comprising chitosan from BSF and silver nanoparticles synthesized using propolis was tested on the skin wounds of young Wistar rats. ...
... As previously mentioned, the BSF has been explored as a feed alternative for livestock, farmed fish, and pets. 17,18,84,121,122 The BSF is also now gaining traction as a human food source, though special measures such as blanching would have to be implemented to reduce the microbial load and heavy metal content. 123,124 In terms of BSF-based products, extracts and peptides derived from the larvae have shown low cytoxicity in cell viability assays. ...
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... (2020) suggestion that repeated exposure to edible insects might be necessary to enhance overall acceptability. (Areerat et al., 2021;El-Wahab et al., 2021;Freel et al., 2021;Jian et al., 2022;Kilburn et al., 2020;Lei et al., 2019;Penazzi et al., 2021;Seo et al., 2021) than cats (Do et al., 2022;Pezzali & Shoveller, 2021;Reilly et al., 2022), ...
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... A large number of studies investigated insect protein in the diets of fish [96][97][98], poultry [87,89,99], pigs [100,101], and pets [102][103][104]. These findings demonstrate that insects can be applied as a universal feed source for various animals. ...
... Aynı araştırmada, kuru madde ve ham proteinin sindirilebilirliğinin arttığı da gösterilmiştir. 35 ...
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ABSTRACT This review article explores the potential benefits of including insects in pet and animal diets, focusing on their nutrient requirements and sustainability. Insect-rearing companies are improving their production operations through insect genetics and nutrition research, adopting sustainable practices , and focusing on insect-based proteins. Silkworms, Yellow mealworms, house crickets, and black soldier flies are recommended as alternative sources of animal nutrition. Moreover, Insects are a sustainable and eco-friendly protein source, offering a hypoallergenic alternative to common allergens in traditional pet food. However, more research is needed to ensure that insects provide all necessary animal nutrients. The purpose of this article is to review the nutritional benefits of insects and how they might be used to supplement the diets of pets, especially dogs and cats, and other animals like rats, rabbits, and pigs.
... The author understands that these two items had a considerable influence on palatability (Knight;Satchel, 2021). Similar results were achieved by Lei et al. (2019) in his study regarding the acceptability of dog biscuits containing Black Soldier fly (Hermetia illucens) larvae flour. The crude protein and lipid values of the product were higher than that of the biscuit used as a control in their study, with crude protein (18.99%) and ethereal extract (5.20%) in larvae flour and crude protein (10.57%) and ethereal extract (4.20%) in commercial biscuit. ...
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... Hematology profiles (WBCs, RBCs, HB, LYMs, and NEUs), indicative of the dogs' health, were maintained within the normal range and indicated that the diets supplemented with BSFPs did not adversely affect any health outcomes. These results were similar to those of previous research with BSFL meal and oil for cats and dogs [26,27], for fish [28], and in poultry [29,30]. Likewise, there was no negative influence on hematology profiles from the addition of 0.4% schizochytrium in the diet of dogs [17] or diets supplemented with schizochytrium at 170 g/d and 255 g/d for dairy cows [31]. ...
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... Also, the authors observed decreased pro-inflammatory and increased anti-inflammatory cytokines at finishing ages using HI meal in diets [76]. As for dogs and cats, there are reports indicating improvements in the antioxidant status [77], with reduced TNF-α and increased concentrations of superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase in the serum of dogs fed diets with HI meal [78]. However, more studies are needed to better understand the effects on anti-inflammatory and immunity parameters [79] in companion animals but also in poultry. ...
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Simple Summary The dietary use of insect meal is a trend that aims to reach sustainability in animal production. Hermetia illucens (black soldier fly) and Tenebrio molitor (yellow mealworm) are the most common insect species reared for larvae production since they have the capacity to transform wasted materials and food into a high-protein meal that can be included in poultry diets. However, the potential use of either H. illucens or T. molitor larvae meal and oil is not limited to the nutritional composition of their products, but it is extended to their functional effects on animal health. Recently, the functional and antimicrobial properties of dietary insect provision have also been evaluated. This manuscript provides a systematic review and a metanalysis on the use of either H. illucens or T. molitor meal and oil as ingredients or feed additives, and their effects on broilers’ growth performance and gut health. Insect meal and oil enhanced the immune status and gut microbiota, demonstrating an opportunity for the use of products that can contribute to poultry health. Abstract Insect meal as a protein source has been considered a sustainable way to feed animals. H. illucens and T. molitor larvae meal are considered high-protein sources for poultry, also presenting considerable amounts of fatty acids, vitamins, and minerals. However, other potential components in insect meal and insect oil have been more extensively studied in recent years. Chitin, lauric acid, and antimicrobial peptides can present antimicrobial and prebiotic functions, indicating that low levels of their inclusion in insect meal can beneficially affect broilers’ health and immune responses. This systematic review was developed to study the impact of insect products on the health parameters of broilers, and a metanalysis was conducted to evaluate the effects on performance. A database was obtained based on a selection of manuscripts from January 2016 to January 2023, following the mentioned parameters. Both H. illucens and T. molitor meal or oil products had positive effects on poultry health status, especially on the ileal and cecal microbiota population, immune responses, and antimicrobial properties. The average daily gain was greater in broilers fed T. molitor meal compared to H. illucens meal (p = 0.002). The results suggest that low levels of insect meal are suitable for broilers, without resulting in negative effects on body weight gain and the feed conversion ratio, while the insect oil can totally replace soybean oil without negative impacts.
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Black soldier fly meal in pet diets is gaining acceptance. This study aimed to assess the use of black soldier fly larvae defatted meal (BSFL) and its impact on blood parameters, biochemical markers, organic antioxidant capacity, skin barrier function and skin and coat quality. A cross-over study involved eight beagle dogs with two periods of 50 days each and a washout period of seven days in between. Two approximately iso-nutritive extruded diets were evaluated, the first containing 29.5% BSFL meal and a control diet containing 26% poultry by-product meal (PBP) as protein source. Skin and coat evaluations and blood collections were conducted before and after each period. Skin barrier function was assessed by measurement of trans epidermal water loss (TEWL) and stratum corneum hydration (SCH) in belly and pinna of the dogs on days 0, 15, 30, and 45 of each period. A trend for higher antioxidant effect significant reduction in serum scavenging capacity was found with PBP for BSFL diet trough malondialdehyde and Vitamin E measurement in dog's serum 2,2-diphenyl-1-picryl-hydrazyl (DPPH) assay. When fed PBP diet dogs exhibited reduction in serum cholesterol triglycerides and decreased LDL levels after 50 days, while dogs fed BSFL presented significant reduction in ALT. TEWL was significantly reduced in belly and pinna over time when dogs were fed BSFL, and TEWL in belly was significantly lower in dogs fed BSFL in comparison to PBP. while Increased SCH was also higher for the BSFL group observed in the same along the feeding period in comparison to PBP, indicating improved ability of the dogs to retain water and keep skin moisture. Improvement skin barrier function could be related to fatty acids from BSFL and increased sebaceous lipids in skin. These are responsible for to avoid water loss and improve skin protection against microbial insults. Inclusion of BSFL as protein source did not promote negative changes in blood biochemistry and had minor antioxidant effect in healthy dogs. However, it proved effective in improving skin barrier function, making BSFL a valuable alternative protein source for dogs, particularly those with sensitive skin or allergies manifesting on the skin.
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The pursuit of novel food products with good nutritional value for both direct and indirect human consumption is crucial. Given the nutritional benefits of insects and the sustainability of this sort of farming, using them as food for farmed animals is a promising alternative. In this regard, the black soldier fly (Hermetia illucens) is most capable of efficiently converting a wide variety of organic materials, from food waste to manure, into insect biomass generating value and closing nutrient loops as they reduce pollution and costs. Their larvae have 29% fat and 42% crude protein, yet they have more saturated fats than most insects. They don't concentrate hazards such as mycotoxins or insecticides. Although rapid development is expected, insects remain underutilized in the animal feed industry mainly due to technical, financial, and regulatory barriers. The social stigmas and legal prohibitions against eating organisms that eat waste are added to extant taboos facing insect consumption. Bridging the knowledge gap is crucial to bring together stakeholders and to better understand the opportunities and challenges of this novel industry, so as to develop guidelines on producing insects on an industrial scale to facilitate the wider use of BSF products as animal feed, and fertilizer.
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Background The present study has evaluated the effects of different inclusion levels of a partially defatted black soldier fly (Hermetia illucens L.; HI) larva meal on the growth performance, blood parameters and gut morphology of broiler chickens. A total of 256 male broiler chickens (Ross 308) were reared from d 1 to d 35 and assigned to 4 dietary treatments (8 replicates/treatment and 8 birds/replicate). HI larva meal was included at increasing levels (0, 5%, 10% and 15%; HI0, HI5, HI10 and HI15, respectively) in isonitrogenous and isoenergetic diets formulated for 3 feeding phases: starter (1–10 d), growing (10–24 d) and finisher (24–35 d). Two birds per pen were slaughtered at d 35 and morphometric investigations and histopathological alterations were performed. Results The live weight (LW) showed linear and quadratic responses to increasing HI larva meal (maximum for HI10 group). Average daily gain (ADG) showed a linear and quadratic responses to HI meal (maximum for HI10 group) during starter and growing periods. A linear decrease was observed for ADG during the finisher period. The daily feed intake (DFI) showed a linear and quadratic effect during the starter period (maximum for HI10 group). Linear and quadratic responses were observed for the feed conversion ratio (FCR) in the growing period and for the whole period of the experiment. The FCR showed a linear response in the finisher period (maximum for HI15). No significant effects were observed for the blood and serum parameters, except for the phosphorus concentration, which showed linear and quadratic responses as well as glutathione peroxidase (GPx) activity, the latter of which showed a linear response. The HI15 birds showed a lower villus height, a higher crypt depth and a lower villus height-to-crypt depth ratio than the other groups. Conclusions Increasing levels of dietary HI meal inclusion in male broiler chickens may improve the LW and DFI during the starter period, but may also negatively affect the FCR and gut morphology, thus suggesting that low levels may be more suitable. However, no significant effects on the haematochemical parameters or histological findings were observed in relation to HI meal utilization.
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This study was conducted to envaluate whether glycine could alleviate Escherichia coli lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced intestinal injury by regulating intestinal epithelial energy status, protein synthesis, and inflammatory response via AMPK, mTOR, TLR4, and NOD signaling pathways. A total of 24 weanling piglets were randomly allotted to 1 of 4 treatments: (1) non-challenged control; (2) LPS-challenged control; (3) LPS + 1% glycine; (4) LPS + 2% glycine. After 28 days feeding, piglets were injected intraperitoneally with saline or LPS. The pigs were slaughtered and intestinal samples were collected at 4 h postinjection. The mRNA expression of key genes in these signaling pathways was measured by real-time PCR. The protein abundance was measured by Western blot analysis. Supplementation with glycine increased jejunal villus height/crypt depth ratio. Glycine also increased the jejunal and ileal protein content, RNA/DNA ratio, and jejunal protein/DNA ratio. The activities of citroyl synthetase in ileum, and α-ketoglutarate dehydrogenase complex in jejunum, were increased in the piglets fed diets supplemented with glycine. In addition, glycine decreased the jejunal and ileal phosphorylation of AMPKα, and increased ileal phosphorylation of mTOR. Furthermore, glycine downregulated the mRNA expression of key genes in inflammatory signaling. Meanwhile, glycine increased the mRNA expression of negative regulators of inflammatory signaling. These results indicate that glycine supplementation could improve energy status and protein synthesis by regulating AMPK and mTOR signaling pathways, and relieve inflammation by inhibiting of TLR4 and NOD signaling pathways to alleviate intestinal injury in LPS-challenged piglets.
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The goal of the present study was to investigate the olfactory attractiveness of air-dried insects used as aromas to dogs. The trial consisted of 35 adult dogs (20 males; 15 females) aged between 12 months and 7 years (mean = 3.6), varied in terms of breed, kept as companion animals. The dogs had free olfactory access to selected unprocessed dried insects, i.e., mealworm ( Tenebrio molitor ), Turkestan cockroach ( Shelfordella lateralis ), black soldier fly ( Hermetia illucens ), and tropical house cricket ( Gryllodes sigillatus ), as well as commercial dried and pelleted dog feed, which was used as a control treatment. Samples (100 g) were located separately in not transparent closed boxes with 5 perforations in the cover (7 mm each) to improve the intensity of the aromas without direct contact with the tested samples. The box was recorded as chosen when the dog showed interest in it for more than 15 seconds continuously per each attempt (3 attempts per dog). The presented study shows that the selected insect species were chosen as frequently as the control group ( P = 0.03). However, in terms of preferences by dog gender, Tenebrio molitor was favored more often by males than by females, which preferred Shelfordella lateralis . The current preliminary data suggest that the olfactory features of the selected insect species may be attractive to dogs.
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We examined egg production and quality responses of adding up to 7.5% defatted black soldier fly larvae meal (BSFLM) in a corn–soybean meal diet fed to pullets (19 to 27 wk of age). The concentration of CP and crude fat in BSFLM sample was 59.3 and 7.0% DM, respectively. A corn–soybean meal diet was formulated with 0 or 5.0 or 7.5% BSFLM and fed (n = 6) to a total of 108, 19-wk-old Shaver White pullets placed in conventional cages (6 birds/cage). The birds had free access to feed and water. Hen-day egg production (HDEP) and average egg weight were monitored daily and feed intake (FI) weekly. Egg quality parameters were assessed on individual eggs collected on the 5th d of wk 22, 24, and 26 and included individual EW (IEW), albumen height (HU), yolk color (YC), egg shell-breaking strength (SBS) and thickness (ST). A quadratic response (P < 0.02) was observed for HDEP, EW and egg mass. Specifically, birds fed 0 and 7.5% BSFLM diets had similar (P > 0.05) values for these parameters with birds fed 5.0% BSFLM showing lower (P < 0.05) HDEP than 0 or 7.5% BSFLM fed birds. The HDEP was 89.4, 84.8, and 87.8 for 0, 5.0, and 7.5% BSFLM, respectively. Feeding BSFLM linearly (P < 0.01) increased FI and feed conversion ratio (FCR) (FI/egg mass). There was no diet effect (P > 0.05) on IEW and HU, however, BSFLM linearly (P = 0.02) reduced CV of IEW. The IEW was 53.7, 52.3, and 53.0 g for 0, 5.0, and 7.5% BSFLM-fed birds, respectively and corresponding CV values of IEW were 7.9, 5.2, and 5.1%. Feeding BSFLM linearly (P < 0.01) increased YC, SBS, and ST. In conclusion, birds fed 7.5% BSFLM had similar HDEP and egg mass but poor FCR relative to corn–soybean meal diet without BSFLM. The effects of BSFLM on egg quality characteristics warrant further investigations.
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Soya bean is the main protein source in poultry feed but rising prices make an alternative protein source necessary. Insects, such as the black soldier fly ( Hermetia illucens ), may be an attractive solution for hens, although little information is available on their effect on egg quality. The present study aims to fill this gap by testing the effect of 100% replacement of soya bean with H. illucens larva meal in the diet of Lohmann Brown Classic laying hens for 21 weeks. At the end of the trial, the eggs were characterized for parameters such as weight, colour, proximate composition of albumen and yolk, and content of carotenoids, tocopherols and cholesterol. The fatty acid profile of yolks was also determined. Hens fed the insect-based diet produced eggs (HIM group) with a higher proportion of yolk than the group fed the soya bean-based diet (SBM group). HIM was associated with redder yolks (red index 5.63 v . 1.36) than SBM. HIM yolks were richer in γ -tocopherol (4.0 against 2.4 mg/kg), lutein (8.6 against 4.9 mg/kg), β -carotene (0.33 against 0.19 mg/kg) and total carotenoids (15 against 10.5 mg/kg) than SBM yolks. The fatty acid composition of HIM yolks was almost identical to that of SBM yolks. Finally, HIM yolks contained 11% less cholesterol than SBM yolks. These results suggest that H. illucens larva meal is a suitable total substitute for soya bean meal in the diet of Lohmann Brown Classic laying hens. A sustainable alternative to the plant protein source therefore seems feasible.
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