Evaluation of black soldier fly larvae oil as a dietary fat source in broiler chicken diets

Abstract

The present study was conducted to evaluate the effects of black soldier fly larvae oil (BSFLO) from the black soldier fly larvae (BSFL) as a partial or total replacement of soybean oil (SBO) on growth performance, fatty acid (FA) profile, and meat quality of broiler chickens from 1 to 5 wk of age. A total of 210 male broiler chickens (Ross 308) at one-day of age were randomly allotted to 3 dietary treatments (10 replicates and 7 birds/group): a basal control diet (CON), the basal diet in which the SBO was replaced by 50% (50 BSFLO) or 100% (100 BSFLO) of BSFLO. The growth performance, physical measurements and chemical traits of leg meat, and sensory analysis of breast meat were not influenced by diets. However, the relative weight (g/kg) of gizzard of CON was significantly higher (14.85, 12.52, and 13.02 for CON, 50 BSFLO, and 100 BSFLO; p < 0.05) than that of other treatments. As expected, the FA profile of breast meat was affected by BSFLO inclusion. The proportion (%) of saturated fatty acid (SFA) was increased (27.16, 27.58, and 28.72 for CON, 50 BSFLO, and 100 BSFLO; p < 0.05) by BSFLO inclusion and the percentage (%) of MUFA was also increased (43.36, 44.58, and 48.55 for CON, 50 BSFLO, and 100 BSFLO; p < 0.01). On the contrary, the proportion (%) of PUFA was decreased (29.49, 27.84, and 22.74 for CON, 50 BSFLO, and 100 BSFLO; p < 0.01). In conclusion, the present study suggests that the replacement of BSFLO did not show an adverse effect on growth performance and it could be an ingredient as a dietary fat source for a broiler diet.

Effective bioconversion of farmed chicken products by black soldier fly larvae at commercially relevant growth temperatures

“…The high lipid content of the BSFL makes it viable for oil to be extracted from these larvae and used as an additional feed supplement. BSFL oil can replace soya bean oil in broiler diets at an inclusion rate of 50%–100% with no impact on growth performances, blood traits, diet preference, meat quality and taste, or slaughtering performance (Cullere et al., 2019; Kim et al., 2020; Schiavone, Cullere, et al., 2017).…”

“…Increasing quantities of BSFL fat does, however, correlate with increasing levels of saturated fatty acids in the meat, producing a less healthy final product (Cullere et al., 2019; Kim et al., 2020; Schiavone, Cullere, et al., 2017). The high lipid content observed in our larvae is not optimal for use in poultry diets and would require adjustment before being incorporated into poultry feed.…”

Effects of Dietary Inclusion Level of Microwave-Dried and Press-Defatted Black Soldier Fly (Hermetia illucens) Larvae Meal on Carcass Traits and Meat Quality in Broilers

“…The pH was measured at the same sites of the pectoralis major muscle using a pH meter (AM-7; Nihonseiki Kaisha Ltd., Tokyo, Japan). The meat samples were then vacuum-sealed in a plastic bag and cooked in a water bath at 80 °C until the core temperature reached 75 °C, as described by Kim et al [ 20 ]. The samples were cooled and dried before weighing to calculate the water-holding capacity (WHC, cooking loss).…”

Partial and Total Replacement of Soybean Meal with Full-Fat Black Soldier Fly (Hermetia illucens L.) Larvae Meal in Broiler Chicken Diets: Impact on Growth Performance, Carcass Quality and Meat Quality

“…The use of HI as a dietary protein source for animals has been investigated in rabbits [ 5 ], fish [ 6 ], pigs [ 7 ] and different poultry species. Full-fat and partially defatted HI larvae meal and HI larvae oil have been fed to Muscovy ducks [ 3 ], broiler quails [ 8 ], laying hens [ 9 ], turkeys [ 10 , 11 ], broiler chickens [ 12 , 13 , 14 ] and barbary partridge [ 15 ]. Partially defatted HI larvae meal incorporated into broiler chicken diets at 5% and 15% exerted a beneficial influence on the growth performance of birds and meat quality [ 12 , 13 ].…”