Potential of black soldier fly (Hermetia illucens) as alternative protein source in salmonid feeds - A review

Abstract

The current constant pressure on fishmeal production for aquaculture feeds stresses the need to search for alternative sources of protein. A possible protein ingredient is insect meal, being more cost effective than fishmeal and soybean meal. Black soldier fly (Hermetia illucens) larvae meal is used in many studies with positive results regarding the bioproductive performances of salmonids. The balanced amino acid profile is comparable with the one of soybean meal. The crude protein and amino acid digestibility is high and similar to that of fishmeal. For rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss), the protein biological value of the larvae is qualitatively lower than that of fishmeal. Atlantic salmon fed with experimental diets with larvae meal showed high bioproductive performances and a better protein biological value compared with salmon fed with a standard fishmeal diet. However, the nutritional quality and chemical composition of the larvae can be drastically improved through the feeding media, which make it a very interesting candidate as a substitute for fishmeal. The aim of this review is to present the current stage of H. illucens use in salmonid feeds, detailing the chemical composition and protein quality. Furthermore, the effect of larvae meal based diets on salmonids is presented.

A systematic meta‐analysis based review on black soldier fly (Hermetia illucens) as a novel protein source for salmonids

“…Previous reviews showed that different fish species responded differently to dietary BSF 19,29 . In accordance, the present study also showed that the type of salmonid species was partially responsible for the heterogeneity of growth rate in salmonids between the studies.…”

“…The results of these two studies further emphasized that the analysis of individual insect and aquatic species can be more meaningful than the generalized results across different insect and aquatic species. The previous reviews on the topic of the effects of the use of BSF in salmonid diets concentrated on summarizing scientific literature in a narrative and qualitative approach 16,19 …”

Black Soldier Fly Larvae Meal vs. Soy Protein Concentrate Meal: A Comparative Digestibility Study in Barramundi (Lates calcarifer)

“…The significant difference observed between BSFM and SPCM in terms of lipid ADCs may be attributed to limitations in calculation methods, especially for ingredients with low lipid content, as seen in SPCM (Table 2). While these findings are encouraging for aquafeed formulators considering the incorporation of these materials into barramundi feed, it is important to acknowledge that the nutritional quality and chemical composition of BSFM can significantly vary depending on the insect feeding media [47], between products and batches [13], and potentially with different processing methods. Therefore, further trials using diverse sources of BSFM are crucial to gain comprehensive insights into its inclusion in barramundi diets.…”

A Review of Black Soldier Fly (Hermetia illucens) as a Potential Alternative Protein Source in Broiler Diets

“…The BSF larvae contain antimicrobial peptides like defensins, cecropins, atacins, and diptericins (Müller et al, 2017). Therefore, larval extracts have degraded bacterial biofilms produced by Escherichia coli, Micrococcus luteus, Pseudomonas fluorescens, and Bacillus subtilis (Papuc et al, 2020). In the last decades, antibiotic resistance has been a topic of interest due to microbial resistance against antibiotics.…”