Affiliation:
1. Department of Animal Science, Federal University of Santa Maria, Santa Maria 97105-900, RS, Brazil
2. Department of Animal Science, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre 91540-000, RS, Brazil
Abstract
Insect meal as a protein source has been considered a sustainable way to feed animals. H. illucens and T. molitor larvae meal are considered high-protein sources for poultry, also presenting considerable amounts of fatty acids, vitamins, and minerals. However, other potential components in insect meal and insect oil have been more extensively studied in recent years. Chitin, lauric acid, and antimicrobial peptides can present antimicrobial and prebiotic functions, indicating that low levels of their inclusion in insect meal can beneficially affect broilers’ health and immune responses. This systematic review was developed to study the impact of insect products on the health parameters of broilers, and a metanalysis was conducted to evaluate the effects on performance. A database was obtained based on a selection of manuscripts from January 2016 to January 2023, following the mentioned parameters. Both H. illucens and T. molitor meal or oil products had positive effects on poultry health status, especially on the ileal and cecal microbiota population, immune responses, and antimicrobial properties. The average daily gain was greater in broilers fed T. molitor meal compared to H. illucens meal (p = 0.002). The results suggest that low levels of insect meal are suitable for broilers, without resulting in negative effects on body weight gain and the feed conversion ratio, while the insect oil can totally replace soybean oil without negative impacts.
Reference83 articles.
1. Veldkamp, T., van Duinkerken, G., van Huis, A., Lakemond, C.M.M., Ottevanger, E., Bosch, G., and Van Boekel, T. (2012). Insects as a Sustainable Feed Ingredient in Pig and Poultry Diets—A Feasibility Study, Wageningen UR Livestock Research.
2. In Vitro Crude Protein Digestibility of Tenebrio molitor and Hermetia illucens Insect Meals and its Correlation with Chemical Composition Traits;Marono;Ital. J. Anim. Sci.,2015
3. Insect as Feed: An Emergy Assessment of Insect Meal as a Sustainable Protein Source for the Brazilian Poultry Industry;Allegretti;J. Clean. Prod.,2018
4. Thrastardottir, R., Olafsdottir, H.T., and Thorarinsdottir, R.I. (2021). Yellow Mealworm and Black Soldier Fly Larvae for Feed and Food Production in Europe, with Emphasis on Iceland. Foods, 10.
5. Insects—A Natural Nutrient Source for Poultry—A Review;Rawski;Ann. Anim. Sci.,2016