In vivo performances, ileal digestibility, and physicochemical characterization of raw and boiled eggs as affected by Tenebrio molitor larvae meal at low inclusion rate in laying quail (Coturnix japonica) diet

Abstract

A total of 120, twelve wk old female Japanese quails were divided into 4 groups (6 replicates of 5 birds each). The control group ( CON ) fed a corn-soybean diet; in the other 3 groups, Tenebrio molitor larvae meal ( TML ) replaced 5, 10, and 20% of the soybean protein ( T5, T10 , and T20 ). The laying performance and egg quality were studied for 54 d. The data were processed by a one-way ANOVA; the orthogonal contrast analysis was performed to test the linear, quadratic and cubic effects among the means. The laying rate and egg mass linearly decreased ( P < 0.01) as the TML inclusion level in the diet increased. The egg weight and feed conversion ratio linearly increased from the control to T20 diet ( P < 0.01) while the digestibility of dry matter, organic matter, and crude protein linearly decreased ( P < 0.05). The albumen and yolk weight showed a linear increase ( P < 0.01) due to dietary TML inclusion, while the eggshell weight showed the opposite ( P < 0.05). The estimated activity of Δ9-desaturase (C16:0), Δ5+Δ6-desaturase on both polyunsaturated fatty acid n-6 and n-3 linearly increased ( P < 0.05) as affected by dietary TML. The boiled yolk lightness ( L* ) showed higher values in T5 and T10 groups (quadratic contrast, P < 0.01). The yolk redness index ( a* ) showed lower values in T5 and T20 than control and T10 groups (cubic contrast, P < 0.01). The albumen L*, a* , and b* indexes showed a significant effect of the quadratic contrast ( P < 0.05). In addition, the albumen b* index showed a significant effect of the cubic contrast ( P < 0.01). The total lipids showed the highest values (cubic contrast, P < 0.05) in the T10 and T20 groups. The total monounsaturated fatty acids linearly increased ( P < 0.05) according to the increase of dietary TML. The best inclusion level of defatted TML meal for laying quails seems to be 1.4% of diet, corresponding to the T5 diet.

Low dietary inclusion levels of Tenebrio molitor larva meal slightly modify growth performance, carcass and meat traits of Japanese quail (Coturnix japonica)

“…Quails fed C and T1.65 diets were heavier than the other groups at the end of the trial, even if the FI was not different among the groups. Although it was not possible to measure nutrient digestibility during this trial, the same defatted TM larvae meal administrated to laying quails (from 14 to 20 weeks of age) progressively reduced the DM digestibility of the diets due to the decreasing CP digestibility, from 78.9% to 72.3% from the control to the highest inclusion‐level group 16 . Changes in BWG among groups, accompanied by the same FI, are responsible for the effects observed on FCR.…”

“…The experiment was designed to compare the growth performance and meat quality of birds fed four isoproteic, grossly isolipidic and isoenergetic diets (Table 1), where SBM proteins, contained in the control diet (C), were partially substituted with defatted TM larvae meal corresponding to TM inclusion levels of 0, 1.65, 3.3 and 6.6 g 100 g −1 of feed, for C, T1.65, T3.3 and T6.6, respectively. The insect meal was purchased at the ENTOMO Farm Company (Libourne, France) and its chemical–nutritional characteristics had been previously investigated 16 . The diets and drinking water were administered ad libitum.…”

“…The total lipid content was extracted from both raw and roasted meat, separately; 19 the fatty acids (FAs) in the lipid extracts were then transesterified 20 and identified by gas chromatography (GC 430 gas chromatograph, Varian Inc., Palo Alto, CA, USA) 16 using tricosanoic acid (C23:0, 0.4 mg mL −1 ; Supelco, Bellefonte, PA, USA) as the internal standard. Supelco 37 Component FAME Mix (Supelco, Bellefonte, PA, USA) was used to obtain calibration curves for FA quantification.…”

“…However, 18% of the overall European poultry production in 2021 (in total, 13 741 million tonnes) is represented by other avian species, such as turkey (Meleagris gallopavo), duck (Anas platyrhynchos domesticus), quail (Coturnix coturnix), pheasant (Phasianus colchicus) and partridge (Alectoris barbara). 7 Despite the fact that several of these species (such as turkey and quail) commonly eat insects in their natural diet, limited studies have been conducted on barbary partridge, 8,9 broiler Japanese quail, [10][11][12][13][14] laying Japanese quail, 15,16 and turkey. 17 Focusing on Japanese quail (JQ), increasing levels of dietary TM in diets up to 3 g 100 g −1 could improve quail body weight (BW), feed conversion ratio (FCR), carcass yield and jejunum morphology.…”

How to develop strategies to use insects as animal feed: digestibility, functionality, safety, and regulation

“…However, chitin can also reduce serum cholesterol and triglyceride levels. Secci et al [ 35 ] described T. molitor as a novel protein source for laying quails. The ADC of dry matter, organic matter, and crude protein was reduced with increasing amounts of substituted insects, but albumin and yolk weight increased.…”