Potential of Insect Meals as Protein Sources for Meat-Type Ducks Based on In Vitro Digestibility

The Effects of Slaughter Methods and Drying Temperatures on the Protein Hydrolysis of Black Soldier Fly Larvae Meal

In recent years, the potential of insects as a sustainable protein alternative to feed the growing world population has been explored. Differences in the ways insects are processed can affect their proximate composition and digestibility. This work studied the effects of the combination of different types of slaughter methods and drying temperatures on the proximate composition, organic matter digestibility (OMd), hydrolysis degree (DH/NH2 and DH/100 g DM), total hydrolysis (TH), and hygienic and sanitary characteristics of BSFL (black soldier fly larvae) meal. Four types of slaughter methods were used including freezing (F), blanching + freezing (B), Melacide® + freezing (M), and liquid nitrogen slaughter (N). Each of these was used with three drying temperatures (50, 70, and 90 °C). A negative correlation between the acid detergent fiber (ADF) and protein digestibility parameters was obtained. The most suitable drying temperature was 70 °C, as it produced higher values of protein digestibility (DH and TH), resulting in hygienic and sanitary conditions suitable for food use. Slaughtering with liquid nitrogen and blanching was more conducive to achieving high protein digestibility results than traditional freezing or the use of Melacide®.

Insect live larvae as a new nutritional model in duck: effects on gut health

BACKGROUND

This study aimed to evaluate the effects of Hermetia illucens (Black soldier fly-BSF) and Tenebrio molitor (Yellow mealworm-YMW) live larvae as a new nutritional model on duck's gut health, considering gut histomorphometry, mucin composition, cytokines transcription levels, and microbiota. A total of 126, 3-days-old, females Muscovy ducks were randomly allotted to three dietary treatments (6 replicates/treatment, 7 birds/pen): (i) C: basal diet; (ii) BSF: C + BSF live larvae; (iii) YMW: C + YMW live larvae. BSF and YMW live larvae were administered on top of the basal diet, based on the 5% of the expected daily feed intake. The live weight, average daily gain, average daily feed intake and feed conversion ratio were evaluated for the whole experimental period. On day 52, 12 ducks/treatment (2 birds/replicate) were slaughtered and samples of duodenum, jejunum, ileum, spleen, liver, thymus and bursa of Fabricius were collected for histomorphometry. Mucin composition was evaluated in the small intestine through histochemical staining while jejunal MUC-2 and cytokines transcription levels were evaluated by rt-qPCR. Cecal microbiota was also analyzed by means of 16 S rRNA gene sequencing.

RESULTS

Birds' growth performance and histomorphometry were not influenced by diet, with a proximo-distal decreasing gradient from duodenum to ileum (p < 0.001), respecting the physiological gut development. Mucin staining intensity and MUC-2 gene expression did not vary among dietary treatments, even though mucin intensity increased from duodenum to ileum, according to normal gut mucus physiology (p < 0.001). Regarding local immune response, IL-6 was higher in YMW group when compared to the other groups (p = 0.009). Insect live larvae did not affect cecal microbiota diversity, but BSF and YMW groups showed a higher presence of Helicobacter, Elusimicrobium, and Succinatimonas and a lower abundance of Coriobacteriaceae and Phascolarctobacterium compared to C birds (p < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

The use of BSF and YMW live larvae as new nutritional model did not impair gut development and mucin composition of Muscovy ducks, but slightly improved the intestinal immune status and the microbiota composition by enhancing regulatory cytokine IL-6 and by increasing minor Operational Taxonomic Units (OTUs) involved in short-chain fatty acids production.

The Role of Insects in Sustainable Animal Feed Production for Environmentally Friendly Agriculture: A Review

The growing demand for animal protein, the efficient use of land and water, and the limitations of non-renewable energy sources highlight the global importance of edible insects. This paper provides an overview of the key issues regarding the role of edible insects in sustainable feed production and environmentally friendly agriculture. The indispensable ecological services provided by insects are discussed, as well as the farming, products, and nutritional value of edible insects. A representative selection of the literature reviewing major insect species' chemical compositions and nutritional value is also presented. The use of insect-derived feeds for animal production is presented in detail and discussed for the major terrestrial livestock and aquaculture groups.

Evaluation of In Vitro Protein Hydrolysis in Seven Insects Approved by the EU for Use as a Protein Alternative in Aquaculture

Rapid population growth is leading to an increase in the demand for high-quality protein such as fish, which has led to a large increase in aquaculture. However, fish feed is dependent on fishmeal. It is necessary to explore more sustainable protein alternatives that can meet the needs of fish. Insects, due to their high protein content and good amino acid profiles, could be a successful alternative to fishmeal and soybean meal traditionally used in sectors such as aquaculture. In this work, seven species of insects (Hermetia illucens, Tenebrio molitor, Acheta domestica, Alphitobius diaperinus, Gryllodes sigillatus, Gryllus assimilis, and Musca domestica) approved by the European Union (UE) for use as feed for farmed animals (aquaculture, poultry, and pigs) were studied. Their proximate composition, hydrolysis of organic matter (OMd), hydrolysis of crude protein (CPd), degree of hydrolysis (DH/NH2 and DH/100 g DM), and total hydrolysis (TH) were analyzed. The results showed that Tenebrio molitor had digestibility similar to that of fishmeal, while Acheta domestica and Hermetia illucens provided similar digestibility to that of soybean meal. The acid detergent fiber (ADF) data were negatively correlated with all protein digestibility variables. The differences in the degree of hydrolysis (DH) results and the similarity in total hydrolysis (TH) results could indicate the slowing effects of ADF on protein digestibility. Further in vivo studies are needed.

Insect-based diets (house crickets and mulberry silkworm pupae): A comparison of their effects on canine gut microbiota

Background and Aim

The gut microbiome plays an important role in the overall health and well-being of dogs, influencing various physiological processes such as metabolism, nutrient absorption, and immune function. Edible insects are a sustainable and nutritious alternative protein source attracting increasing attention as a potential component of animal feeds, including pet food. However, little is known about the effects of insect-based diets on the gut microbiota of dogs. This study aimed to examine the fecal microbiota of dogs fed a diet that substituted common protein sources (poultry meal) with the house cricket (Acheta domesticus [AD]) or mulberry silkworm pupae (Bombyx mori pupae [BMp]) at different levels.

Materials and Methods

Fifteen healthy adult mixed-breed dogs were systemically randomized and assigned into each block under a completed randomized block design into the following five experimental dietary groups: control diet, 10% AD, 20% AD, 7% BMp, or 14% BMp for 29 days. The amounts fed to the dogs were based on the daily energy requirement. Fecal samples were collected on days 14 and 29 and analyzed for bacterial community structure using 16S ribosomal ribonucleic acid gene sequencing.

Results

At the phylum and genus levels, microbiota and their diversity were generally relatively similar among all treatments. The diets containing insects did not significantly alter the major phyla in the gut microbiome of dogs (p > 0.05). A few significant changes were found in the relative abundance of bacterial genera, with the levels of Allobaculum and Turicibacter being reduced in dogs fed a higher level of BMp. In contrast, only a decrease in Turicibacter was found in dogs fed the lower level of AD than the control diet (p < 0.05). Corynebacterium and Lactobacillus levels in the dogs fed 14% BMp were significantly increased compared with those in the control group (p < 0.05).

Conclusion

These findings suggest that insect-based diets may slightly alter the gut microbiota of dogs. Further research is needed to fully understand the mechanisms by which insect-based diets influence the gut microbiota of dogs and the long-term potential health implications.

Apparent Digestibility Coefficients of Black Soldier Fly (Hermetia illucens), Yellow Mealworm (Tenebrio molitor), and Blue Bottle Fly (Calliphora vicina) Insects for Juvenile African Catfish Hybrids (Clarias gariepinus × Heterobranchus longifilis)

A digestibility trial was conducted with African catfish hybrid juveniles in order to determine the apparent digestibility coefficients (ADCs) of different nutrients. The experimental diets contained defatted black soldier fly (BSL), yellow mealworm (MW), or fully fat blue bottle fly (BBF) meals, in a 70 : 30 ratio between the control diet and the tested insect meals. The indirect method for the digestibility study was performed using 0.1% yttrium oxide as an inert marker. Fish juveniles of 217.4 ± 9.5 g initial weight were distributed in 1 m³ tanks (75 fish/tank) of a recirculating aquaculture system (RAS), in triplicates, and fed until satiation for 18 days. The average final weight of the fish was 346 ± 35.8 g. The ADCs of the dry matter, protein, lipid, chitin, ash, phosphorus, amino acids, fatty acids, and gross energy for the test ingredients and diets were calculated. A six-month storage test was carried out to evaluate the shelf life of the experimental diets, while the peroxidation and microbiological status of the diets were also assessed. The ADC values of the test diets differed significantly (p < 0.001) compared to those of the control for most of the nutrients. Altogether, the BSL diet was significantly more digestible for protein, fat, ash, and phosphorus than the control diet but less digestible for essential amino acids. Significant differences were found between the ADCs of the different insect meals evaluated (p < 0.001) for practically all nutritional fractions analyzed. The African catfish hybrids were able to digest BSL and BBF more efficiently than MW, and the calculated ADC values agreed with those of other fish species. The lower ADCs of the tested MW meal correlated (p < 0.05) with the markedly higher acid detergent fiber (ADF) levels present in the MW meal and MW diet. Microbiological evaluation of the feeds revealed that mesophilic aerobic bacteria in the BSL feed were 2-3 orders of magnitude more abundant than those in the other diets and their numbers significantly increased during storage. Overall, BSL and BBF proved to be potential feed ingredients for African catfish juveniles and the shelf life of the produced diets with 30% inclusion of insect meal retained the required quality during a six-month period of storage.

In Vitro Crude Protein Digestibility of Insects: A Review

The high protein content of insects has been widely studied. They can be a good food alternative, and therefore it is important to study the effect of digestion on their protein. This review examines the different in vitro protein digestibility methodologies used in the study of different edible insects in articles published up to 2021. The most important variables to be taken into account in in vitro hydrolysis are the following: phases (oral, gastric and intestinal), enzymes, incubation time and temperature, method of quantification of protein hydrolysis and sample preprocessing. Insects have high digestibility data, which can increase or decrease depending on the processing of the insect prior to digestion, so it is important to investigate which processing methods improve digestibility. The most commonly used methods are gut extraction, different methods of slaughtering (freezing or blanching), obtaining protein isolates, defatting, thermal processing (drying or cooking) and extrusion. Some limitations have been encountered in discussing the results due to the diversity of methodologies used for digestion and digestibility calculation. In addition, articles evaluating the effect of insect processing are very limited. It is concluded that there is a need for the standardisation of in vitro hydrolysis protocols and their quantification to facilitate comparisons in future research.

Potential Utilization of Insect Meal as Livestock Feed

Globally, the utilization of alternative protein sources in livestock feed has been extensively deliberated and established to be the best novel approach. Extensive research indicated that insects provide good opportunities as a sustainable, high quality, and low-cost component of animal feed. The use of insects in animal diet sounds to be the prospective opportunity leading to sustainability of animal feeds and meet the intensifying worldwide plea for livestock products. The value of these protein sources has, however, increased due to limited production, competition between humans and animals. The use of insects for feeding farmed animals represents a promising alternative because of the nutritional properties of insects and the possible environmental benefits, given the sustainability of this type of farming. Yet little has been documented about the nutrient composition of various insect meals, the impact of insect meal in the animal feed industry, safety, and attitude and willingness of farmers to accept insect-based animal feed and food. Therefore, this chapter seeks to document the potential utilization of insect meal as livestock feed.

Comparison of Nutritional Profiles of Super Worm (Zophobas morio) and Yellow Mealworm (Tenebrio molitor) as Alternative Feeds Used in Animal Husbandry: Is Super Worm Superior?

Edible insects are acknowledged as a valuable nutritional source and promising alternative to traditional feed ingredients, while the optimization of rearing conditions is required for their wider utilization in the animal feed industry. The main goal of this study was to compare and optimize the rearing conditions of the two species’ larvae and identify the most favorable nutritive composition of the full-fat larval meal. For that purpose, Tenebrio molitor (TM) and Zophobas morio (ZM) were reared on three different substrates and harvested after three time periods. An artificial neural network (ANN) with multi-objective optimization (MOO) was used to investigate the influence between the observed parameters as well as to optimize and determine rearing conditions. The optimization of the larval rearing conditions showed that the best nutritive composition of full-fat larval meal was obtained for ZM larvae reared on a mixture of cabbage, carrot and flaxseed and harvested after 104 days. The best nutritive composition contained 39.52% protein, 32% crude fat, 44.01% essential amino acids, 65.21 mg/100 g Ca and 651.15 mg/100 g P with a favorable ratio of 1.5 of n6/n3 fatty acids. Additionally, the incorporation of flaxseed in the larval diet resulted in an increase in C18:3n3 content in all samples.

How to Develop Strategies to Use Insects as Animal Feed: Digestibility, Functionality, Safety, and Regulation

Various insects have emerged as novel feed resources due to their economical, eco-friendly, and nutritive characteristics. Fish, poultry, and pigs are livestock that can feed on insects. The digestibility of insect-containing meals were presented by the species, life stage, nutritional component, and processing methods. Several studies have shown a reduced apparent digestibility coefficient (ADC) when insects were supplied as a replacement for commercial meals related to chitin. Although the expression of chitinase mRNA was present in several livestock, indigestible components in insects, such as chitin or fiber, could be a reason for the reduced ADC. However, various components can positively affect livestock health. Although the bio-functional properties of these components have been verified in vitro, they show positive health-promoting effects owing to their functional expression when directly applied to animal diets. Changes in the intestinal microbiota of animals, enhancement of immunity, and enhancement of antibacterial activity were confirmed as positive effects that can be obtained through insect diets. However, there are some issues with the safety of insects as feed. To increase the utility of insects as feed, microbial hazards, chemical hazards, and allergens should be regulated. The European Union, North America, East Asia, Australia, and Nigeria have established regulations regarding insect feed, which could enhance the utility of insects as novel feed resources for the future.

Dynamic Analysis of Major Components in the Different Developmental Stages of Tenebrio molitor

The yellow mealworm, Tenebrio molitor, is an important resource insect with a high protein percentage that is widely farmed in many countries. In this study, the content dynamics for protein, fat, chitin, and other components in the whole development process of yellow mealworms were analyzed by sampling from different instars and combining with their growth conditions. The results of the component dynamic analyses in the different development stages showed that the percentages of protein, fat, and chitin were the highest in the larval stage, pupal stage, and adult stage, respectively. The results of amino acid composition dynamic analysis also indicated comparatively higher essential amino acids in the earlier instar (e.g., before the 9th instar) larvae. Therefore, we found that the earlier instar is better than the final instar as the insect farming harvest time. Furthermore, the larvae in the earlier instar consumed dramatically less feed and could effectively reduce the farming costs of insect farmers. This finding provides an alternative option to farm insects for different purposes and in an economic way.

Possibility of Using House Cricket (Acheta domesticus) or Mulberry Silkworm (Bombyx mori) Pupae Meal to Replace Poultry Meal in Canine Diets Based on Health and Nutrient Digestibility

Simple Summary

Pet foods are one of the fastest-growing products owing to demands by pet owners. In general, soybean meal, meat, meat by-products, meat, and bone meal and fishmeal have usually served as protein sources in canine diets, but they are not sustainable and fluctuate in chemical composition. Recently, several companies around the world have invested in producing edible insects as an alternative protein source for humans, livestock, aquatic animals, and dogs; however, regulation is unique for each country, which has limited the growth of insect industries. Based on several study reports, dogs have been shown to consume diets containing insects without adverse effects on health or nutrient digestibility. House cricket (Acheta domesticus: AD) and mulberry silkworm (Bombyx mori: BM) pupae are other potential insects able to be good protein sources that could replace poultry meal and fishmeal. Healthy adult mixed-breed dogs were divided into five groups fed diets with 10% AD, 20% AD, 7% BM, or 14% BM for 29 days. During the experiments, dogs were evaluated in terms of blood parameters and nutrient digestibility. The study shown AD and BM, at levels of up to 20% and 14%, respectively, can be a substitute for poultry meal in canine diets without any adverse effects on health and nutrient digestibility.

Abstract

There has been increasing interest in using insects as sustainable protein sources for humans and animals. Therefore, this study aimed to explore the possibility of substituting poultry meal with house cricket (Acheta domesticus: AD) or mulberry silkworm (Bombyx mori: BM) pupae. Fifty healthy adult mixed-breed dogs were selected and divided into five experimental groups, which were fed, in amounts based on daily energy requirement, with a control diet, a diet with 10% AD, with 20% AD, with 7% BM, or with 14% BM. Days 0–22 and 23–28 of the experiment served as the adaptation and collection phases, respectively. Haematology and blood chemistry were collected at days 0, 14, and 28, and body weight, body condition score, feed intake, faecal output, faecal score, faecal moisture, and apparent total tract digestibility of dry matter and nutrients were measured during the collection phase. The results from this study suggested that AD and BM can replace poultry meal without any adverse consequences on all measured parameters (p > 0.05). Therefore, AD at 20% or BM at 14% can be used in canine diet formulations. However, long-term feeding trials should be conducted and should focus on clinical signs relating to hypersensitivity disorders.

Characteristics of carcass and physicochemical traits of meat from male and female ducks fed a diet based on extruded soybean

Duck' meat is characterized by good nutritional properties and gaining popularity in the consumer market. Extruded soybean is potentially more digestible than commonly use soybean meal (SBM), and is expected to influence carcass traits and the quality of breast and leg muscles. The study' aim was to compare meat quality from both sexes' ducks fed a diet with extruded soybean (ESB) as a substitute for SBM. Cherry Valley ducks were divided into two groups. The control group (1) was fed an SBM-based diet, and the treatment group (2) with ESB. Each group was divided into sex subgroups with 50 birds in each (5 replicates, 10 ducks each). Dissection and analysis of meats' pH, colour, water-holding capacity (WHC), drip loss and chemical composition of breast and leg muscles were done. Interaction of Diet and Sex was calculated. In group 2 higher carcass weight, dressing percentage, weight of wings, leg muscles, total muscles, and better WHC were found. Dressing percentage, the proportion of neck with skin, breasts' and stomach' weight, and the weight and proportion of fat, and pH45min were higher in females (P < 0.05). The interaction was found for the pre-slaughter body weight, the weight of carcass remains, WHC in breasts (P < 0.05). The ESB feed had no negative effect on the analyzed traits and can be used in the ducks' diet. Improved the WHC indicates the high suitability of meat for processing. A positive effect of diet on the muscles' proportion and dressing percentage was noticed, which is important for consumers' market. The sex-related differences and interactions between variables suggest separate rearing due to sex.

Screening of in vitro nutrient digestibility coefficients of selected insect meals in broiler chickens, black-meat chickens and quails

The objective of this study is to identify potential insect species comparing with commonly used protein sources based on efficiency of the in vitro digestibility on dry matter (DMd), organic matter (OMd) and crude protein (CPd) in broiler chickens, black-meat chickens (Native breed) and quails. Each of gastric mucosa, pancreas and duodenal mucosa were obtained from proventriculus, pancreas and duodenum, respectively. Crude digestive enzyme extracts (CTE) were extracted from these organs to perform in vitro digestibility. Eighteen insect samples and six commonly used protein sources were served as substrates which were evaluated on DMd, OMd and CPd in triplicate for each substrate. The CTE from gastric mucosa was used to simulate proventriculus, whereas small intestine was simulation by adding the CTE from pancreas and duodenum. The large variation of chemical composition between insect meals was presented. For commonly used protein sources, animal proteins were higher on digestibility than plant proteins (p < .001). Quails represented a great potential to digest insect meals comparing other animals. Based on CPd results, there were potential insect species for broiler chickens (Achroia grisella: AG, Tenebrio molitor: TM and Musca domestica), black-meat chickens (Patanga succincta, TM and AG) and quails (Hermetia illucens, Acheta domesticus and Locusta migratoria; p < .001). The evidences from this study suggest that these insect species contain a great potential to use as alternative protein sources promoting an animal production with sustainability. However, the in vivo experimentation must be performed to confirm in further study.

Impacts of Killing Process on the Nutrient Content, Product Stability and In Vitro Digestibility of Black Soldier Fly (Hermetia illucens) Larvae Meals

The black soldier fly (BSF, Hermetia illucens) is considered a potential sustainable insect alternative source of protein for animal feed. The quality of a BSF meal is greatly influenced by the killing method and the purpose of this article is to compare the influences of different killing methods. BSFs at the 18-day-old prepupae stage were separated into six different killing methods with three replicates: 1. blending, 2. freezing, 3. CO2 treatment, 4. vacuum, 5. blanching and 6. CO2 plus blanching. After killing, BSF larvae meals were obtained by hot air oven drying and grinding. The chemical composition and in vitro digestibility calculated from sediments were not affected by the killing method, except that blending provided the worst BSF quality for all measured parameters (p < 0.05). The highest quality of BSF was obtained from the heat treatment procedures (blanching and the CO2 plus blanching methods), as they produced lower acidity after killing, total viable counts, browning reaction (enzymatic and non-enzymatic), darkness, moisture, fat acidity, protein and lipid oxidation during storage compared with other killing procedures (p < 0.05). Interestingly, the highest free amino acids in the supernatant after in vitro digestibility of BSF samples was observed with the CO2 plus blanching killing method (p < 0.05), whereas other parameters were similar to those obtained with blanching. The CO2 plus blanching method did not produce clearly different outcomes to blanching; therefore, the selection of one of these techniques over the other should depend on the regulations in each country.

Ontogenic Development of Digestive Enzymes in Mealworm Larvae (Tenebrio molitor) and Their Suitable Harvesting Time for Use as Fish Feed

Mealworm larvae (Tenebrio molitor) are edible insects consumed in feed and food. In the current study, the optimal harvesting time of mealworm larvae for use as aquafeed was investigated during the ages of 30-90 days after hatching (DAH). Development of digestive enzymes, proximate composition, and in vitro protein digestibility using digestive enzymes from African catfish (Clarias gariepinus) and Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus), were used as criteria. The specific activities of pepsin and trypsin significantly decreased with age (p < 0.05) from the first harvesting time until 50 and 45 DAH, respectively, while steadiness in these enzyme activities was observed onwards. Chymotrypsin specific activity appeared constant across all harvesting times. The specific activity of amylase significantly decreased in the later stages of development, while cellulase exhibited a different pattern suggesting it has a major role in dietary fiber utilization relative to starch. Regarding proximate compositions of the mealworm larvae, the moisture and ash contents decreased significantly with age, while the protein content exhibited the opposite trend with the highest contents from 60 to 90 DAH. Crude lipid was generally fairly constant, but its lowest value was observed in the earliest stage. In vitro protein digestibility was not significantly different across all harvesting times for both fish species, except for the significantly decreased digestibility value at 65 DAH relative to 30 and 35 DAH for Nile tilapia. However, based on the economic benefits of time for growth increment and proximate chemical composition, approximately 60 DAH is proposed as suitable for harvesting mealworm larvae to be used in fish feed.

Effects of the Dietary Inclusion of Partially Defatted Black Soldier Fly (Hermetia illucens) Meal on the Blood Chemistry and Tissue (Spleen, Liver, Thymus, and Bursa of Fabricius) Histology of Muscovy Ducks (Cairina moschata domestica)

Simple Summary

Insects represent a promising feed ingredient for poultry diets, as an alternative to conventional feedstuffs. Black soldier fly (BSF; Hermetia illucens) larvae are processed to obtain two main products: the protein and fat fractions. The possible utilization of BSF defatted meal in Muscovy duck (Cairina moschata domestica) diets has been poorly investigated. However, its effect on in vivo and post-mortem traits, which are extremely important for animal welfare, has not yet been investigated. Therefore, the present study has evaluated the effect of 0%, 3%, 6%, and 9% dietary BSF meal replacement on the in vivo haematological parameters and on the post-mortem organ traits. Overall, the obtained results are encouraging as increasing dietary BSF meal did not impair the growth performance or the haematological traits. Furthermore, both the liver and renal function were unaffected or even improved. The antioxidant picture appeared improved and the histological traits were not influenced by the dietary inclusion of BSF meal. From a productive and biological point of view, the dietary replacement up to 9% of BSF meal in Muscovy duck diet is feasible and BSF meal could represent a promising feed ingredient.

Abstract

The present study has evaluated the effects of dietary partially-defatted black soldier fly (BSF; Hermetia illucens L.) larva meal on the blood parameters, antioxidant status, and histological features of the organs of broiler ducks. A total of 192 female 3-days of age Muscovy ducklings (Cairina moschata domestica) were divided into four dietary treatments (0%, 3%, 6%, and 9% BSF meal inclusion; 6 pens/treatment, 8 birds/pen). A total of 12 ducks/treatment (2 birds/pen) were slaughtered at 51 days of age and blood samples were collected to evaluate the haematological traits, serum protein, lipid and minerals, liver and renal function serum enzymes, plasma oxidative enzymes, and metabolites. Liver, spleen, thymus, and bursa of Fabricius samples were submitted to histopathological investigations. Between the serum and plasma traits, triglycerides, cholesterol, creatinine, alkaline phosphatase, magnesium, malondialdehyde, and nitrotyrosine showed a linear decrease for increasing amounts of dietary BSF meal (p <0.01); in contrast, the serum iron concentration showed a linear increase (p <0.01). Moreover, the histopathological findings were not significantly affected by the dietary BSF larva meal inclusion. The results showed that the inclusion of up to 9% BSF larva meal represents a promising feed ingredient for Muscovy duck nutrition, and improved blood traits were observed.