Growth efficiency, intestinal biology, and nutrient utilization and requirements of black soldier fly (Hermetia illucens) larvae compared to monogastric livestock species: a review

Diverting organic waste from landfills via insect biomanufacturing using engineered black soldier flies (Hermetia illucens)

A major roadblock towards the realisation of a circular economy are the lack of high-value products that can be generated from waste. Black soldier flies (BSF; Hermetia illucens) are gaining traction for their ability to rapidly consume large quantities of organic wastes. However, these are primarily used to produce a small variety of products, such as animal feed ingredients and fertiliser. Using synthetic biology, BSF could be developed into a novel sustainable biomanufacturing platform to valorise a broader variety of organic waste feedstocks into enhanced animal feeds, a large variety of high-value biomolecules including industrial enzymes and lipids, and improved fertiliser.

Wheat starch processing by-products as rearing substrate for black soldier fly: does the rearing scale matter?

Rearing scale may influence black soldier fly (BSF) larvae traits when they are fed on a single diet, but different feeding substrates have not been tested yet. This study evaluated the effects of wheat starch processing by-products-based diets on growth performance, bioconversion efficiency (BER), and nutritional profile of BSF larvae reared in different scales. Four diets (D1 and D2 [isonitrogenous, isolipidic and isoenergetic]; D3 and D4 [displaying 1:1 and 1:2 as protein to carbohydrate ratios, respectively]) were tested at 3 rearing scales (4 replicate boxes/diet, with a constant volume [0.84 cm3]/larva and feed [0.7 g]/larva): 1) small (S; 12 × 12 cm, substrate height: 4 cm, 686 6-day-old larvae (6-DOL)/box), 2) medium (M, 32 × 21 cm, substrate height: 7 cm, 5 600 6-DOL/box), and 3) large (L, 60 × 40 cm, substrate height: 7 cm, 20 000 6-DOL/box). Larval weight was recorded at the beginning of trial and every 4 days, and growth rate (GR), specific growth rate (SGR), feed conversion ratio (FCR), survival, BER corrected for residue, reduction rate (RR), and waste reduction index (WRI) calculated at the end of larval growth (frass DM ≥ 55%). Substrate pH, T and height were measured at the beginning, every 4 days, and end of trial. Larval proximate composition was analysed at the end of trial. Data were analysed by generalised linear mixed model (SPSS software, P < 0.05). The D1 larvae showed higher weight, GR, SGR and WRI (along with higher substrate T) than D2 at M scale, while increased SGR and FCR - as well as decreased survival, RR and WRI - were observed in D2 larvae at S scale (P < 0.05). Larval CP and ether extract (EE) contents were influenced by M and L scales only, being higher in D2 group than in D1 (P < 0.001). Differently, decreased ash was recorded in D2 larvae when reared at S and M scales, while L scale revealed higher ash in D2 group than D1 (P < 0.001). The D3 larvae displayed greater weight, SGR, survival, RR and WRI (along with greater substrate T) than D4 at M scale, with increased survival and substrate T being also highlighted in L scale (P < 0.05). The D3 larvae also showed lower DM and EE - as well as higher CP - than D4 at all the rearing scales (P < 0.001). In conclusion, D1 and D3 led to better BSF larval growth performance, BER and nutritional profile mainly at M and L scales, as a consequence of their ability to facilitate larval aggregation and, in turn, allow achieving a higher substrate T.

Bio-upcycling of cheese whey: Transforming waste into raw materials for biofuels and animal feed

Cheese whey (CW), by-product of cheese production, has potential as a valuable resource due to its nutritional composition. Although options for CW degradation have been explored, a biological treatment with black soldier fly larvae (BSFL) has not been reported. This study evaluated the growth and composition of BSFL in four experimental diets with CW under different conditions. Results show that the use of CW allows larval development and weight gain, also, the conversion into larval biomass was up to 0.215. Diets ED3 (fresh CW, 38 °C) and ED4 (fresh CW, room temperature) allowed higher weight accumulation (final weight up to 0.285 g); the highest fat accumulation (12 % higher than control) was observed in ED3 (up to 45.57 %), which had less protein. Moreover, higher amounts of saturated fatty acids are generated. This study highlights the importance of an appropriate pretreatment designed for a specific waste to control desired by-products.

Unlocking the Potential of Substrate Quality for the Enhanced Antibacterial Activity of Black Soldier Fly against Pathogens

Globally, antibiotics are facing fierce resistance from multidrug-resistant bacterial strains. There is an urgent need for eco-friendly alternatives. Though insects are important targets for antimicrobial peptides, it has received limited research attention. This study investigated the impact of waste substrates on the production of antibacterial agents in black soldier fly (Hermetia illucens L.) larvae (HIL) and their implications in the suppression of pathogens [Bacillus subtilis (ATCC 6051), Staphylococcus aureus (ATCC 25923), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (ATCC 27853), and Escherichia coli (ATCC 25922)]. The 20% acetic acid (AcOH) extract from market waste had the highest antibacterial activity with an inhibition zone of 17.00 mm, followed by potato waste (15.02 mm) against S. aureus. Hexane extract from HIL raised on market waste also showed a significant inhibitory zone (13.06 mm) against B. subtilis. .Minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values recorded were 25 mg/mL against all test pathogens. The fastest time-kill of 20% AcOH extract was 4 h againstB. subtilis, E. coli, ,andP. aeruginosa. Lauric acid was also identified as the dominant component of the various hexane extracts with concentrations of 602.76 and 318.17 μg/g in HIL reared on potato and market waste, respectively. Energy from the market waste substrate correlated significantly (r = 0.97) with antibacterial activities. This study highlights the key role of substrate quality and extraction methods for enhancing the production of antibacterial agents in HIL, thus providing new insights into the development of potential drugs to overcome the alarming concerns of antimicrobial resistance.

Flight toward Sustainability in Poultry Nutrition with Black Soldier Fly Larvae

Black soldier fly larvae (BSFL), Hermetia illucens (L.) (Diptera: Stratiomyidae), have emerged as a promising feed ingredient in broiler chicken diets, known for their high protein content, nutritional richness, and environmental sustainability. This review examines the effects of integrating BSFL into broiler feeds, focusing on aspects such as growth performance, nutrient digestibility, physiological responses, and immune health. The ability of BSFL to transform waste into valuable biomass rich in proteins and lipids underscores their efficiency and ecological benefits. Protein levels in BSFL can range from 32% to 53%, varying with growth stage and diet, offering a robust source of amino acids essential for muscle development and growth in broilers. While the chitin in BSFL poses questions regarding digestibility, the overall impact on nutrient utilization is generally favorable. The inclusion of BSFL in diets has been shown to enhance growth rates, feed efficiency, and carcass quality in broilers, with the larvae's balanced amino acid profile being particularly advantageous for muscle development. BSFL may also support gut health and immunity in broilers due to its bioactive components, potentially influencing the gut's microbial composition and enhancing nutrient absorption and overall health. Moreover, the capacity of BSFL to efficiently convert organic waste into protein highlights their role as an environmentally sustainable protein source for broiler nutrition. Nonetheless, further research is necessary to fully understand the long-term effects of BSFL, ideal inclusion rates, and the impact of varying larval diets and rearing conditions. It is crucial for poultry producers to consult nutritionists and comply with local regulations when incorporating new feed ingredients like BSFL into poultry diets.

A metanalysis to evaluate the effects of substrate sources on the nutritional performance of black soldier fly larvae: implications for sustainable poultry feed

This meta-analysis presents an evaluation of substrate sources and their impact on the growth performance of black soldier fly (BSF) larva. The database, compiled from Google Scholar, PubMed, and Science Direct, focuses on data concerning substrate sources, environmental conditions, and the performance parameters of BSF. Seven types of substrates were analyzed, including Feed Waste, Manure, Fruits, Mix, Animal Source, Fermentation Residue, and Food Waste. The Feed Waste group demonstrated the highest DM content, while the highest CP content was found in the Animal Source group. Higher CP and DM content were found in larva meal from Fermentation Residues and Feed Waste diets, respectively. Higher survival rates were observed in BSF larvae fed on Feed Waste, Fermentation Residues, Food Waste, Fruits, Mix, and Manure substrates compared to Vegetable and Animal Source substrates. Fresh larval weight was lower when Manure was used as a feed substrate than in the Animal Source, Feed Waste, and Vegetable substrates. The prepupal Wet Weight was highest in BSF larvae fed on Animal Source, surpassing those fed on Fermentation Residue, Manure, and Vegetable substrates. Substrate CP content exhibited a positive relationship with fresh larva weight, prepupal wet weight, dry larval weight; larval length, mortality until prepupal, protein conversion, feed conversion ratio, food consumption, substrate reduction rate bioconversion ratio, waste reduction index, and efficiency conversion of digested feed in BSF larva. In conclusion, our findings underline that the source and composition of substrates are correlated to the nutritional composition and conversion efficiency of BSF larva meal.

Dynamics of black soldier fly larvae composting - Impact of substrate properties and rearing conditions on process efficiency

Inadequate organic waste management have detrimental impact on the environment and on public health. Black soldier fly (BSF) larvae composting is a biological treatment for biodegradable waste that align with circular economy principles. The bioconversion efficiency of bio-waste into larval biomass is influenced by various factors, such as substrate type and the process parameters employed in the larval rearing process. In this study, the influence of these parameters on survival, material reduction (Mat.Red), waste-to-biomass conversion efficiency (BCE) and larval yield per rearing unit was investigated through two sets of experiments. In Experiment 1, the impact of larval density in five distinct rearing substrates was evaluated, while the effect of larval feed dose and substrate depth was assessed in Experiment 2, using a model substrate (dog food). In Experiment 1 it was found that higher larval density lead to an increase in BCE and larval yield, up to a threshold (around 6.25 larvae cm-2). Surpassing this threshold led to the production of smaller larvae, while the yield remained relatively consistent. In Experiment 2 it was found that supplying the substrate in a shallow layer (1-1.5 cm depth) and providing a low feed dose (0.1 g volatile solids (VS) larva-1) led to higher BCE and Mat.Red, albeit with a reduced overall yield per unit. Increasing feed load and substrate depth reduced the conversion efficiency, Mat.Red and larval survival. This study enhances the understanding of the effect of various process parameters used in the BSF larvae treatment, and how they interrelate.

Rapid Evolutionary Adaptation to Diet Composition in the Black Soldier Fly (Hermetia illucens)

Genetic adaptation of Hermetia illucens (BSF) to suboptimal single sourced waste streams can open new perspectives for insect production. Here, four BSF lines were maintained on a single sourced, low-quality wheat bran diet (WB) or on a high-quality chicken feed diet (CF) for 13 generations. We continuously evaluated presumed evolutionary responses in several performance traits to rearing on the two diets. Subsequently, we tested responses to interchanged diets, i.e., of larvae that had been reared on low-quality feed and tested on high-quality feed and vice versa to evaluate costs associated with adaptation to different diets. BSF were found to experience rapid adaptation to the diet composition. While performances on the WB diet were always inferior to the CF diet, the adaptive responses were stronger to the former diet. This stronger response was likely due to stronger selection pressure experienced by BSF fed on the low-quality single sourced diet. The interchanged diet experiment found no costs associated with diet adaptation, but revealed cross generational gain associated with the parental CF diet treatment. Our results revealed that BSF can rapidly respond adaptively to diet, although the mechanisms are yet to be determined. This has potential to be utilized in commercial insect breeding to produce lines tailored to specific diets.

Upcycling of recycled minerals from sewage sludge through black soldier fly larvae (Hermetia illucens): Impact on growth and mineral accumulation

Phosphorous (P) resources are finite. Sewage sludge recyclates (SSR) are not only of interest as plant fertilizer but also as potential source of minerals in animal nutrition. However, besides P and calcium (Ca), SSR contain heavy metals. Under EU legislation, the use of SSR derivatives in animal feed is not permitted, but given the need to improve nutrient recycling, it could be an environmentally sound future mineral source. Black soldier fly larvae (BSFL) convert low-grade biomass into valuable proteins and lipids, and accumulate minerals in their body. It was hypothesized that BSFL modify and increase their mineral content in response to feeding on SSR containing substrates. The objective was to evaluate the upcycling of minerals from SSR into agri-food nutrient cycles through BSFL. Growth, nutrient and mineral composition were compared in BSFL reared either on a modified Gainesville fly diet (FD) or on FD supplemented with either 4% of biochar (FD + BCH) or 3.6% of single-superphosphate (FD + SSP) recyclate (n = 6 BSFL rearing units/group). Larval mass, mineral and nutrient concentrations and yields were determined, and the bioaccumulation factor (BAF) was calculated. The FD + SSP substrate decreased specific growth rate and crude fat of BSFL (P < 0.05) compared to FD. The FD + SSP larvae had higher Ca and P contents and yields but the BAF for Ca was lowest. The FD + BCH larvae increased Ca, iron, cadmium and lead contents compared to FD. Larvae produced on FD + SSP showed lower lead and higher arsenic concentration than on FD + BCH. Frass of FD + BCH had higher heavy metal concentration than FD + SSP and FD (P < 0.05). Except for cadmium and manganese, the larval heavy metal concentration was below the legally permitted upper concentrations for feed. In conclusion, the SSR used could enrich BSFL with Ca and P but at the expense of growth. Due to the accumulation of Cd and Mn, BSFL or products thereof can only be a component of farmed animal feed whereas in BSFL frass heavy metal concentrations remained below the upper limit authorized by EU.

Near Infrared Spectroscopy for Prediction of Yeast and Mould Counts in Black Soldier Fly Larvae, Feed and Frass: A Proof of Concept

The use of black soldier fly larvae (BSFL) grown on different organic waste streams as a source of feed ingredient is becoming very popular in several regions across the globe. However, information about the easy-to-use methods to monitor the safety of BSFL is a major step limiting the commercialization of this source of protein. This study investigated the ability of near infrared (NIR) spectroscopy combined with chemometrics to predict yeast and mould counts (YMC) in the feed, larvae, and the residual frass. Partial least squares (PLS) regression was employed to predict the YMC in the feed, frass, and BSFL samples analyzed using NIR spectroscopy. The coefficient of determination in cross validation (R2CV) and the standard error in cross validation (SECV) obtained for the prediction of YMC for feed were (R2cv: 0.98 and SECV: 0.20), frass (R2cv: 0.81 and SECV: 0.90), larvae (R2cv: 0.91 and SECV: 0.27), and the combined set (R2cv: 0.74 and SECV: 0.82). However, the standard error of prediction (SEP) was considered moderate (range from 0.45 to 1.03). This study suggested that NIR spectroscopy could be utilized in commercial BSFL production facilities to monitor YMC in the feed and assist in the selection of suitable processing methods and control systems for either feed or larvae quality control.

Intersex is required for female sexual development in Hermetia illucens

Sex-determination pathways are extremely diverse. Understanding the mechanism of sex determination in insects is important for genetic manipulation of the pest population and for breeding of economically valuable insects. Although sex determination has been well characterized in the model species Drosophila melanogaster, little is known about this pathway in Stratiomyidae. In the present study, we first identified the Drosophila intersex (ix) homolog in Hermetia illucens, also known as the black soldier fly, which belongs to the Stratiomyidae family and which is an important insect for the conversion of various organic wastes. Phylogenetic analyses and multiple sequence alignment revealed that Hiix is conserved compared with Drosophila. We showed that Hiix is highly expressed in internal genitalia. Disruption of the Hiix gene using CRISPR/Cas9 resulted in female-specific defects in external genitalia and abnormal and undersized ovaries. Taken together, our study furthers our understanding of sex determination in insects and could facilitate breeding of H. illucens.

Metabolic Modeling of Hermetia illucens Larvae Resource Allocation for High-Value Fatty Acid Production

All plant and animal kingdom organisms use highly connected biochemical networks to facilitate sustaining, proliferation, and growth functions. While the biochemical network details are well known, the understanding of the intense regulation principles is still limited. We chose to investigate the Hermetia illucens fly at the larval stage because this stage is a crucial period for the successful accumulation and allocation of resources for the subsequent organism's developmental stages. We combined iterative wet lab experiments and innovative metabolic modeling design approaches to simulate and explain the H. illucens larval stage resource allocation processes and biotechnology potential. We performed time-based growth and high-value chemical compound accumulation wet lab chemical analysis experiments on larvae and the Gainesville diet composition. We built and validated the first H. illucens medium-size, stoichiometric metabolic model to predict the effects of diet-based alterations on fatty acid allocation potential. Using optimization methods such as flux balance and flux variability analysis on the novel insect metabolic model, we predicted that doubled essential amino acid consumption increased the growth rate by 32%, but pure glucose consumption had no positive impact on growth. In the case of doubled pure valine consumption, the model predicted a 2% higher growth rate. In this study, we describe a new framework for researching the impact of dietary alterations on the metabolism of multi-cellular organisms at different developmental stages for improved, sustainable, and directed high-value chemicals.

Quality Characteristics of Black Soldier Flies Produced by Different Substrates

Black soldier fly (BSF; Hermetia illucens) has a high capacity for amino acids and fatty acid accumulation. This study was conducted to assess the effectiveness of tofu by-products, food waste, and vegetables for BSF growth and conversion efficiency. BSFs under tofu by-product treatments showed the greatest weight at d 12 and the harvest period. Moreover, BSF larval weight was greater in the food waste treatment compared with the vegetable treatment at d 12 and harvest. The larva yield result was greater in the vegetable treatment compared with the tofu by-product. The bioconversion rate was higher in the tofu by-product treatment compared with the food waste and vegetable treatments. The protein conversion rate and lipid conversion rate were the highest in the vegetable treatment. The protein yield and lipid yield were greatest in the tofu by-product treatment. The lauric acid content was increased in BSFs fed tofu by-products compared with the food waste treatment. The concentration of C16:1 was the highest in the tofu by-product treatment. The content of oleic acid and α-linolenic acid was higher in BSFs fed tofu by-products compared with the vegetable treatment. In conclusion, the tofu by-products show benefits for larval growth and nutrient accumulation, which can improve larval quality for livestock feed ingredients.

Metatranscriptomic analysis of the gut microbiome of black soldier fly larvae reared on lignocellulose-rich fiber diets unveils key lignocellulolytic enzymes

Recently, interest in the black soldier fly larvae (BSFL) gut microbiome has received increased attention primarily due to their role in waste bioconversion. However, there is a lack of information on the positive effect on the activities of the gut microbiomes and enzymes (CAZyme families) acting on lignocellulose. In this study, BSFL were subjected to lignocellulose-rich diets: chicken feed (CF), chicken manure (CM), brewers' spent grain (BSG), and water hyacinth (WH). The mRNA libraries were prepared, and RNA-Sequencing was conducted using the PCR-cDNA approach through the MinION sequencing platform. Our results demonstrated that BSFL reared on BSG and WH had the highest abundance of Bacteroides and Dysgonomonas. The presence of GH51 and GH43_16 enzyme families in the gut of BSFL with both α-L-arabinofuranosidases and exo-alpha-L-arabinofuranosidase 2 were common in the BSFL reared on the highly lignocellulosic WH and BSG diets. Gene clusters that encode hemicellulolytic arabinofuranosidases in the CAZy family GH51 were also identified. These findings provide novel insight into the shift of gut microbiomes and the potential role of BSFL in the bioconversion of various highly lignocellulosic diets to fermentable sugars for subsequent value-added products (bioethanol). Further research on the role of these enzymes to improve existing technologies and their biotechnological applications is crucial.

Foodborne Diseases in the Edible Insect Industry in Europe-New Challenges and Old Problems

Insects play a key role in European agroecosystems. Insects provide important ecosystem services and make a significant contribution to the food chain, sustainable agriculture, the farm-to-fork (F2F) strategy, and the European Green Deal. Edible insects are regarded as a sustainable alternative to livestock, but their microbiological safety for consumers has not yet been fully clarified. The aim of this article is to describe the role of edible insects in the F2F approach, to discuss the latest veterinary guidelines concerning consumption of insect-based foods, and to analyze the biological, chemical, and physical hazards associated with edible insect farming and processing. Five groups of biological risk factors, ten groups of chemical risk factors, and thirteen groups of physical risks factors have been identified and divided into sub-groups. The presented risk maps can facilitate identification of potential threats, such as foodborne pathogens in various insect species and insect-based foods. Ensuring safety of insect-based foods, including effective control of foodborne diseases, will be a significant milestone on the path to maintaining a sustainable food chain in line with the F2F strategy and EU policies. Edible insects constitute a new category of farmed animals and a novel link in the food chain, but their production poses the same problems and challenges that are encountered in conventional livestock rearing and meat production.

Consumers' acceptance toward whole and processed mealworms: A cross-country study in Belgium, China, Italy, Mexico, and the US

The interest in edible insects as food is growing, both in traditional and non-traditional insect-eating countries given their advantages in terms of sustainability and nutritional content. However, only a few studies have conducted cross-country investigations on the acceptance of including processed or whole insects in the diet. Thus, this study aimed to examine to which extent consumers were accepting (i) whole and visible mealworms, (ii) processed mealworms in their diet and (iii) to explore the factors affecting the acceptance level of consuming mealworms in countries with and without entomophagy tradition. An online survey was applied to collect responses (3,006) from five countries-i.e., Belgium, China, Italy, Mexico, and the US-using a quota sampling method. Moreover, an information treatment was included with about half of the participants receiving information about the advantages of edible insects as food (ingredient) and the presence of food safety regulations. Across countries, gender was the main factor affecting acceptance level as men accepted mealworms more than women. Entomophagy tradition mainly explained the differences among countries. Countries with entomophagy traditions (Mexico and China) showed higher acceptance of including whole or processed mealworms in the diet compared to countries with no entomophagy traditions (i.e., Belgium, Italy, and the US). While information and age did affect differently the acceptance of including processed mealworms in countries with entomophagy traditions showing that consumer acceptance was affected by information in Mexico and by age in China. Whereas it was found that younger people (below 42 years old) in countries without entomophagy tradition were more open to accepting processed mealworms in their diet. Moreover, across countries, the acceptance of including processed mealworms was higher compared to whole mealworms. These findings provide insights into which consumer segments to target and the potential impact of information when introducing new insect-based foods in countries with and without entomophagy traditions.

Enhanced protein degradation by black soldier fly larvae (Hermetia illucens L.) and its gut microbes

Black soldier fly larvae (BSFL) can convert a variety of organic wastes into biomass, and its gut microbiota are involved in this process. However, the role of gut microbes in the nutrient metabolism of BSFL is unclear. In this study, germ-free BSFL (GF) and gnotobiotic BSFL (GB) were evaluated in a high-protein artificial diet model. We used 16S rDNA sequencing, ITS1 sequencing, and network analysis to study gut microbiota in BSFL that degrade proteins. The protein reduction rate of the GB BSFL group was significantly higher (increased by 73.44%) than that of the GF BSFL group. The activity of gut proteinases, such as trypsin and peptidase, in the GB group was significantly higher than the GF group. The abundances of different gut microbes, including Pseudomonas spp., Orbus spp. and Campylobacter spp., were strongly correlated with amino acid metabolic pathways. Dysgonomonas spp. were strongly correlated with protein digestion and absorption. Issatchenkia spp. had a strong correlation with pepsin activity. Campylobacter spp., Pediococcus spp. and Lactobacillus spp. were strongly correlated with trypsin activity. Lactobacillus spp. and Bacillus spp. were strongly correlated with peptidase activity. Gut microbes such as Issatchenkia spp. may promote the gut proteolytic enzyme activity of BSFL and improve the degradation rate of proteins. BSFL protein digestion and absorption involves gut microbiota that have a variety of functions. In BSFL the core gut microbiota help complete protein degradation. These results demonstrate that core gut microbes in BSFL are important in protein degradation.

Effects of Hermetia illucens Larvae Meal and Astaxanthin as Feed Additives on Health and Production Indices in Weaned Pigs

Weaning is a critical period in farming, and therefore, searching for health-promoting feed additives of natural origin is necessary. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of full-fat H. illucens larvae meal (HI) and astaxanthin (AST) supplementation on the growth performance and health status of weaned pigs. The experiment was carried out on 48 pigs (8.7 kg) divided into six groups: I-control; II-2.5% HI; III-5% HI; IV-2.5% HI and AST; V-5% HI and AST; VI-AST. The experiment lasted from the 35th to 70th day of age, and animals were fed ad libitum. The results obtained indicate that HI meal and astaxanthin had no effect on feed intake and utilization, weight gain, or organ weight. Additionally, blood parameters remained within the norms. It seems that astaxanthin supports the inhibition of oxidative stress, which became apparent in the case of some red blood cell parameters. The 2.5% HI and AST supplementation can reduce the susceptibility of pork fat to oxidation (lower adipose tissue TBARS). However, 5% HI in feed was not beneficial because of the adverse changes in some red cell indices, and it should be combined with the antioxidant AST to improve these indices.

Microbiome analysis reveals the effects of black soldier fly oil on gut microbiota in pigeon

The gut microbiota plays a vital roles in poultry physiology, immunity and metabolism. Black soldier fly oil is known to have a positive effect on the gut microbiota. However, the specific effect of black soldier fly oil on the composition and structure of the gut microbiota of the pigeon is unknown. In this experiment, 16S rDNA high-throughput sequencing was performed to study the effect of different doses of black soldier fly oil on the changes of pigeon intestinal microbes. Results indicated that the different doses of black soldier fly oil had no effect on the gut microbial diversity of the pigeon. Although the dominant phyla (Proteobacteria, Firmicutes, Bacteroidetes, and Actinobacteria) and genus (uncultured_bacterium_f_Lachnospiraceae and Desulfovibrio) in control group and experimental group with different doses were the same, the abundances of some beneficial bacteria (Megasphaera, Intestinimonas, Prevotella_9, Lachnospiraceae_UCG-001, Faecalibacterium, Coprococcus_2, Parabacteroides, Megasphaera, Leuconostoc, Prevotellaceae_UCG-001, Lactococcus, Ruminococcaceae_UCG-014, and Coprococcus_2) increased significantly as the concentration of black soldier fly oil increased. Taken together, this study indicated that black soldier fly oil supplementation could improve gut microbial composition and structure by increasing the proportions of beneficial bacteria. Notably, this is the first report on the effects of black soldier fly oil on the gut microbiota of pigeon, which contribute to understanding the positive effects of black soldier fly oil from the gut microbial perspective.