Utilization of Tenebrio molitor Larvae Reared with Different Substrates as Feed Ingredients in Growing Pigs

Abstract

The procurement of adequate feed resources is one of the most important challenges for the animal industry worldwide. While the need for feeds rich in protein is constantly increasing, their production cannot readily keep up. Consequently, to overcome this challenge in a sustainable way, it is necessary to identify and develop new feeding strategies and feed ingredients, such as insect meals. In the present study, Tenebrio molitor larvae that were reared on two different substrates (standard and enriched with medicinal aromatic plant material) were used as feed ingredients for growing pigs. A total of 36 weaned pigs (34 days old) were randomly allocated to three treatment groups and fed either the control diet (A) or diets supplemented at 10% with one of the two insect meals (B and C). At the end of the trial (42 days), blood, feces, and meat samples were collected for analysis. The insect meal supplementation did not affect (p > 0.05) overall performance but significantly modified (p < 0.001) the fecal microflora balance and the blood cholesterol (p < 0.001), while the rest of the blood parameters tested were not affected. Moreover, this dietary supplementation significantly affected some microbial populations (p < 0.001), improved the total phenolic content (p < 0.05), and the fatty acid profile (p < 0.001) of the meat cuts, but did not affect (p > 0.05) meat color or proximate composition. Further research is needed to evaluate the different types and levels of inclusion of insect meals in pig nutrition.

Combined Dietary Supplementation of Tenebrio molitor Larvae and Chitosan in Growing Pigs: A Pilot Study

“…It appears that there is a relationship between the content of dietary phenols in the meat and its resistance to oxidative damage. These observations are in agreement with previous studies, which reported that the use of T. molitor in monogastric animal diets can improve the oxidative stability of the meat [ 47 , 82 ]. Xu et al reported that incorporating chitosan into the diets of weaned piglets led to an increase in total antioxidant capacity along with a reduction in the levels of MDA and cortisol in serum [ 10 ].…”

“…Moreover, the fatty acid composition of T. molitor larvae and meals can be improved through modification of the rearing substrate [ 102 ]. Our results are in agreement with recent studies, which also reported a decrease in saturated fatty acids (SFA) and an increase in polyunsaturated and omega-3 fatty acids in the produced meat of growing pigs when H. illucens , T. molitor , and A. diaperinus larvae meals were added in the diets [ 82 , 103 , 104 , 105 ]. In contrast, there is limited research on the effect of chitosan supplementation on pork meat fatty acids.…”

“…Finally, the present results are in agreement with previous studies, which reported that the dietary use of T. molitor larvae decreased the populations of potentially harmful bacteria such as E. coli , Clostridium spp., and Staphylococcus spp. in meat cuts of growing pigs [ 82 ].…”

Valorization of local agricultural by-products as nutritional substrates for Tenebrio molitor larvae: A sustainable approach to alternative protein production

“…The yellow mealworm, Tenebrio molitor L. (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae), has been extensively studied for its potential to be utilized as a nutrient source for farmed fish (Iaconisi et al 2017 ; Jeong et al 2020 ), poultry (Khan et al 2018 ; Mastoraki et al 2020 ; Vasilopoulos et al 2023 ), pigs (Jin et al 2016 ; Zacharis et al 2023 ) and other livestock animals. In 2017, T. molitor was listed among the approved insect species as aquafeed ingredients (EC 2017 ).…”