Improvement in bioconversion efficiency and reduction of ammonia emission by introduction of fruit fermentation broth in a black soldier fly larvae and kitchen waste conversion system.

The black soldier fly (BSF), Hermetia illucens (Diptera: Stratiomyidae), is an insect commonly used for the bioconversion of various organic wastes. Not only can the BSF convert organic waste into macromolecular organic substances, such as insect proteins, but it can also lessen the pollution associated with these waste products by reducing ammonia emissions, for example. In this study, we measured the effects of adding fruit fermentation broth (Fer) and commercial lactic acid bacteria fermentation broth (Em) to kitchen waste (KW), as deodorizing auxiliary substances, on the growth performance of black soldier fly larvae (BSFL), the intestinal flora structure of BSFL, the ammonia emission from the KW substrate, and the microbial community structure of the KW substrate. We found that the addition of Fer or Em increased the body weight of BSFL after 6 d of culture, increasing the growth rate by 9.96% and 7.96%, respectively. The addition of Fer not only reduced the pH of the KW substrate but also increased the relative abundance of probiotics, such as Lactobacillus, Lysinibacillus, and Vagococcus, which inhibited the growth of ammonifiers such as Bacillus, Oligella, Paenalcaligenes, Paenibacillus, Pseudogracilibacillus, and Pseudomonas, resulting in the reduction of ammonia emission in the KW substrate. Moreover, the addition of Fer or Em significantly increased the relative abundances of Bacteroides, Campylobacter, Dysgonomonas, Enterococcus, and Ignatzschineria in the gut of BSFL and increased the species diversity and richness in the KW substrate. Our findings provide a novel way to improve the conversion rate of organic waste and reduce the environmental pollution caused by BSF.

Evaluation of Rosmarinic Acid on Broiler Growth Performance, Serum Biochemistry, Liver Antioxidant Activity, and Muscle Tissue Composition.

The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of dietary supplementation with different doses of rosmarinic acid (RA) on the growth performance, serum biochemical indices, liver antioxidant activity, and muscle nutritional component of broiler chickens during 1-20 days of age. A total of 1000 1-day-old Cobb 500 white-feathered broilers were divided into five groups. Each group included four replicates and 50 birds per replicate. The control group was the basic fodder group fed with a basal diet. The experimental groups included four levels of RA (100, 200, 300, and 400 mg/kg RA added to the basal diet, respectively). The results showed that a quadratic increase in final body weight (BW) and average daily gain (ADG) and a quadratic decrease in the feed/gain (F/G) ratio were observed with increasing dietary RA levels. At 200 mg/kg RA supplementation, growth performance was significantly improved. Moreover, under this RA treatment, the highest levels of total protein and globulin were detected in the serum, the activities of total superoxide dismutase and catalase in the liver of broilers were significantly increased, and the malondialdehyde content was significantly decreased, indicating a higher antioxidant capacity of the liver when 200 mg/kg RA was added to the basal diet. The flavor of the muscle meat was improved by dietary supplementation with 200 mg/kg RA. Therefore, adding 200 mg/kg of RA to the diet could significantly improve the growth performance of broilers, improve liver antioxidant capacity, and improve muscle quality, etc. The addition of RA to broiler feed as a natural antioxidant has great prospects.

Comparative Lipid Profile Analysis of Hermetia illucens Larvae Fed Food Waste at Different Days of Age Using an LC-MS-Based Lipidomics Approach.

A lipidomics approach based on liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS) was applied to analyze the molecular-level mechanism of lipid deposition in Hermetia illucens (H. illucens) larvae fed food waste (FW) at different days of age. The H. illucens larvae reared on FW substrates generally became larger, heavier, and fatter at 5-15 d of age. A large amount of glycerolipids (GL) were deposited, while glycerophospholipids (GP), sphingolipids, and derivatized lipids became relatively less abundant during the growth stage of the larvae. Forty-three subclasses of 3,205 lipid molecules were identified in larvae, and 139 lipids (79 upregulated and 60 downregulated during larval growth and development) were identified as potential biomarkers (variable importance in projection > 1; P < 0.05). The differential lipids were mainly enriched in 19 metabolic pathways, of which 9 metabolic pathways related to lipids, including GL and GP metabolisms. The results demonstrate that the lipid composition and mechanisms changed during the growth and development stage of H. illucens larvae. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first work exploring the molecular-level mechanism of lipid deposition during the growth and development stage of H. illucens larvae. The findings provide novel information for determining and utilizing the nutritional value of H. illucens larvae.

Evaluation of the Low Inclusion of Full-Fatted Hermetia illucens Larvae Meal for Layer Chickens: Growth Performance, Nutrient Digestibility, and Gut Health.

Substitution of feed protein source with defatted black soldier fly larvae meal (BSFM) has been evaluated intensively in poultry, but information about full-fatted BSFM is still very limited. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of dietary low inclusion of full-fatted BSFM on the growth performance, plasma antioxidant ability, nutrient digestibility, and gut health of layer chickens during 1-42 days of age. A total of 480 female 1-day-old Hy-Line Brown chickens were divided into four dietary treatments, with the inclusion of 0, 3, 6, and 9% of full-fatted BSFM. Each treatment included six replicates and 20 birds per replicate. As dietary full-fatted BSFM inclusion levels increased, there was a quadratic increase in final weight and average daily gain and a quadratic decrease in feed/gain ratio. Dietary full-fatted BSFM inclusion levels increased the digestibility of crude protein and ether extract quadratically as well as ileum mucosal sIgA concentration linearly, but these had no effect on intestinal morphology. Additionally, an increase in dietary full-fatted BSFM inclusion levels resulted in a linear increase in glutathione peroxidase and total superoxide dismutase activities and a linear decrease in malondialdehyde content in plasma. The encouraging results of the improvement of growth performance, nutrient digestibility, antioxidant ability, and gut health parameters suggested that partially full-fatted BSFM inclusion can be suitable protein ingredients for layer chickens' diets at the starter period.