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16 Two examples of cricket rearing units. (A) Boxes constructed of cardboard and (B) boxes made of high density polyethylene. (a) Watering units, (b) feeding trays with diet, and (c) smooth tape for preventing escapes.
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Insects provide a very promising alternative for the future production of animal protein. Their nutritional value in conjunction with their food conversion efficiency and low water requirements make them a more sustainable choice for the production of food of animal origin. However, to realize their potential as a viable source of food for a growin...
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Metarhizium is widely recognized as an insect pathogenic fungus but it can also form symbiotic associations with plant roots. Here we assessed root rhizoplane, as well as endophytic colonization in monocots and dicots by ten Metarhizium strains representing species with either narrow or broad insect host ranges, as well as a related endophytic and...
Strains of Beauveria from different areas of Nuevo Leon State were isolated, characterized morphologically, morphometrically, and enzymatically, and evaluated against yellow mealworm, Tenebrio molitor L. (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae), in a laboratory. Twenty-four soil samples were collected. Greater wax moth, Galleria mellonella (L.) (Lepidoptera: Py...
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Citations
... This risk can be regarded as moderately high because few innovative pet formulations have been clinically tested. Moreover, production lines in pet food plants may require certain modifications to process insect protein (Ortiz et al. 2016, Dossey et al. 2016, Ojha et al. 2021, Sindermann et al. 2021. Pet food producers work with similar materials, and this risk has been evaluated as moderate. ...
The incidence of chronic enteropathies (CE), in particular food-responsive enteropathies (FRE) in dogs, is on the rise in veterinary practice. The symptoms of these digestive disorders cannot be alleviated with the use of commercial hypoallergenic feeds. The applicability of novel materials in hypoallergenic dog feeds is limited, and edible insects could pose a viable alternative. Insects have a high nutritional value, and their potential can be harnessed to design personalized nutrition strategies. However, the use of insects in animal feeds should be rigorously tested. The aim of this study was to analyze the applicability of edible insects as a source of dietary protein for companion animals, including the current and future prospects. Canine food formulas should be evaluated in a clinical setting. The role edible insects in pet diets and the efficacy of this material in animal nutrition should be examined in advanced clinical trials in gastroenterology, histology, immunology, and microbiology. These efforts are required to guarantee the safety and efficacy of innovative insect-based feeds and to increase their popularity among veterinary practitioners, pet food producers, and animal owners.
... Insect farming presents a highly sustainable alternative to traditional livestock due to its minimal land requirements [26]. Insects can be reared in vertically stacked containers, drastically reducing the land footprint compared with conventional animal farming [27]. For example, producing 1 kg of protein from insects like crickets requires significantly less land than producing the same amount of beef protein [28]. ...
The present review highlights the potential of insect-based proteins to address the growing need for sustainable and secure food systems. The key findings suggest that edible insects offer a viable and environmentally friendly alternative to traditional livestock, requiring significantly less land, water, and feed while emitting lower levels of greenhouse gases. Insect farming can also reduce waste and recycle nutrients, supporting circular economy models. Nutritionally, insects provide high-quality protein, essential amino acids, and beneficial fats, making them valuable to human diets. Despite these benefits, this review emphasizes the need for comprehensive regulatory frameworks to ensure food safety, manage potential allergenicity, and mitigate contamination risks from pathogens and environmental toxins. Additionally, developing innovative processing technologies can enhance the palatability and marketability of insect-based products, promoting consumer acceptance. This review concludes that with appropriate regulatory support and technological advancements , insect-based proteins have the potential to significantly contribute to global food security and sustainability efforts.
... According to Cortes Ortiz et al. (2016), mealworms can receive all the nutrients they need for growth, reproduction, and development from wheat bran. When mealworms were grown in a medium of wheat flour and brewer's yeast, Ghaly & Alkoaik (2009) measured the highest larval weight as 182.7 g. ...
... Koo et al. (2013) also reported that giving wheat bran and its mixtures shortened the larval period. Similarly, adding protein to the diet shortens the development time (Cortes Ortiz et al., 2016). Cotton (1927) stated that the most significant larval period of natural mealworms was 629 days. ...
A new approach to supplying foods and feeds that are high in protein has emerged in the form of insect farming. Insect‐farmed food may also serve as part of a sustainable diet for humans. The mealworm Tenebrio molitor L. (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae) is the most widely consumed insect worldwide. In this study, 10 larval diets were tested in the laboratory to determine their suitability for mass‐feeding mealworms at 28 °C and 60–65% r.h., in a completely randomized design. Various larval diets had a significant impact on the biological features of T. molitor . The larvae, pupae, and adults were greater on diets containing wheat bran alone and wheat bran in combination with maize and porridge. Larval mortality was significantly higher (60.7%) on a diet with porridge alone, compared to a control diet, followed by diets with porridge in combination with barley (55.6%) or maize (50.6%). Sex ratio was also affected by the tested larval diets. Female hatch (65%) was higher than male hatch (35%) on diet containing wheat bran alone as compared to all other diets. The findings contribute to optimizing mealworm rearing practices for sustainable food production and promote the potential use of mealworms as a viable protein source – especially livestock diets based on mealworm reared on wheat bran show promise.
... Due to the scarcity and high cost of feed, it is difficult to produce the required quantities of meat; therefore, there is a need for alternative protein sources. One of the sustainable alternatives is the mass production of insects as a source of protein (van Huis and Oonincx, 2017), e.g., crickets, mealworms, etc. (Ortiz et al. 2016). In this regard, the black soldier fly, Hermetia illucens (L.), which has received approval from the EU for use as animal feed in the livestock and aquaculture industries only (not for human consumption), is one of the main insects being reared to address the high costs associated with animal feed production (Bosch et al. 2019, Kawasaki et al. 2019, Smetana et al. 2019, Mouithys-Mickalad et al. 2020. ...
The black soldier fly, Hermetia illucens L. (Diptera: Stratiomyidae), is commonly used for organic waste recycling and animal feed production. However, the often inadequate nutrients in organic waste necessitate nutritional enhancement of black soldier fly larvae, e.g., by fungal supplementation of its diet. We investigated the amino acid composition of two fungi, Candida tropicalis (Castell.) Berkhout (Saccharomycetales: Saccharomycetaceae) and Pichia kudriavzevii Boidin, Pignal & Besson (Saccharomycetales: Pichiaceae), from the black soldier fly gut, and commercial baker’s yeast, Saccharomyces cerevisiae Meyen ex E.C. Hansen (Saccharomycetales: Saccharomycetaceae), and their effects on larval growth and hemolymph metabolites in fifth-instar black soldier fly larvae. Liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry was used to study the effect of fungal metabolites on black soldier fly larval metabolism. Amino acid analysis revealed significant variation among the fungi. Fungal supplementation led to increased larval body mass and differential metabolite accumulation. The three fungal species caused distinct metabolic changes, with each over-accumulating and down-accumulating various metabolites. We identified significant alteration of histidine metabolism, aminoacyl-tRNA biosynthesis, and glycerophospholipid metabolism in BSF larvae treated with C. tropicalis. Treatment with P. kudriavzevii affected histidine metabolism and citrate cycle metabolites, while both P. kudriavzevii and S. cerevisiae treatments impacted tyrosine metabolism. Treatment with S. cerevisiae resulted in down-accumulation of metabolites related to glycine, serine, and threonine metabolism. This study suggests that adding fungi to the larval diet significantly affects black soldier fly larval metabolomics. Further research is needed to understand how individual amino acids and their metabolites contributed by fungi affect black soldier fly larval physiology, growth, and development, to elucidate the interaction between fungal nutrients and black soldier fly physiology.
... Our tested diets also satisfied the need for sterols by T. molitor larvae, whose growth is favored by the presence in the diet of cholesterol, sitosterol, stigmasterol, stigmastanol, and ergosterol [42]. In the mealworm diets, sterols are provided via vegetables and yeast [65]. ...
By-product-based diets have the potential to improve the environmental and economic sustainability of Tenebrio molitor (Linnaeus, 1758) production. However, evaluations of the efficacy of new diets are generally focused on larval performance, while the effect on adults is poorly understood. This aim of this study was to evaluate diets enriched with tomato pomace over a complete breeding cycle. The results showed that when used as an oviposition substrate, all the tested diets, including tomato pomace (T), outperformed the control bran-yeast diet (WY, 95:5 ratio), possibly due to the presence of cholesterol and linoleic acid. The adults fed with the bran-tomato pomace-brewer’s spent grain diet (WTB, 50:27:23 ratio), the bran-tomato pomace-yeast diet (WTY, 50:41:9 ratio), and the bran-tomato pomace diet (WT, 50:50 ratio) produced significantly more larvae than those fed with the WY diet. The WTB diet (despite being yeast-free) performed similarly to the WY control diet during the subsequent larval growth phase, making it suitable for the entire production cycle. In conclusion, the results show that tomato pomace can be used a valid by-product in the formulation of efficient diets for the breeding of T. molitor and also provide an alternative to expensive yeast.
... Insects also have much lower energy requirements than mammals, while their feed conversion ratio (FCR) is like that of the monogastric farm animals (1.5-2.5 g g À1 ), unless their feed is very low in nutrients (Oonincx and de Boer, 2012;Melis et al., 2019;Rumbos et al., 2021). Commercial production of several insect species, including the house cricket (HC) (Acheta domesticus), the Jamaican field cricket (JFC) (Gryllus assimilis), the yellow mealworm (YM) (Tenebrio molitor) and the superworm (SW) (Zophobas morio) has already been developed (Cortes Ortiz et al., 2016;Ribeiro et al., 2018). ...
... In the European Union, feeding legislation for farmed insects is like that of the farm animals (European Parliament and Council, 2009, 1069). Insects, especially YM larvae can utilise waste and by-products low in nutrients (Cortes Ortiz et al., 2016;Morales-Ramos et al., 2020a). However, these diets tend to result in lower survival rate (SR), body weight (BW) and protein content Bawa et al., 2020;Harsányi et al., 2020). ...
... There are 10 amino acids that are essential in arthropod diet: Ile, Leu, Lys, Met, Phe, Thr, Trp, Val, Arg and His. Tyr is a main component of sclerotin and it is required in large amounts during moulting (Cortes Ortiz et al., 2016). The non-essential amino acids that are not necessary for the growth of the YM, include Ser, Tyr, Glu and Gly. ...
Feeding costs of farmed insects may be reduced by applying alternative nitrogen sources such as urea that can partly substitute true proteins. The aim of this study was to examine the effects of different nitrogen sources on body weight (BW) and survival rate (SR) of the Jamaican field cricket (JFC, Gryllus assimilis ), the house cricket (HC, Acheta domesticus ), yellow mealworm larvae (YM, Tenebrio molitor ) and superworm larvae (SW, Zophobas morio ). Crickets were either housed individually or in groups, and larvae were group-housed. Six isonitrogenous feeds composed of 3.52% nitrogen were designed for all four insect species using four independent replicates with micellar casein: urea proportions of 100–0%, 75–25%, 50–50%, 25–75%, 0–100% and 100% extracted soybean meal. All selected insect species were able to utilise urea. However, urea as the only nitrogen source resulted in low final BW. In the HC, the JFC, and the YM on nitrogen basis urea can replace 25% of micellar casein without having any negative effects on BW and SR in comparison to the 100% micellar casein group. In the SW, a 25% urea level did not have a significant effect on final BW, but SR decreased significantly.
... Cortes Ortiz et al. [34] provided an overview of all aspects of insect mass production, covering its history, which began with pest control objectives in the 1970s; the species used and their respective applications; production techniques; and environmental control. Like many others, they emphasize that developments in insect mass production will be directed toward food and feed production. ...
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.
... Our results indicate that fresh lettuce, as a water source, has a higher positive influence on larval growth rate compared to either water or milk when provided alone. It is a common practice in many Korean mealworm farms and elsewhere in America and Europe to provide mealworms with water by spraying into each tray (rearing unit) [21]. The comparative advantage of fresh lettuce leaves over plain water is unsurprising considering the supply of additional nutrients (to the wheat bran basal diet) that are availed in the lettuce. ...
... Overall, in this study, doubling the quantity of moist feed substrates caused up to 70% increments in larval weight by 97 days post hatching, thus shortening the growing periods by nearly 30 days. Ortiz and colleagues [21] suggest that an average ration of 0.006 g to 0.010 g of fresh vegetables be provided per larva per day. In this study, our categories of low and high-water levels correspond to the low and high end of this range with a slight adjustment (i.e., 0.006 g to 0.012 g per larva per day). ...
... However, caution is required while increasing the moisture supply, as this comes with some new risks and challenges. For instance, increased moisture risks microbial and fungal accumulation, which would degrade the provided feed, increase larval mortality, and compromise the safety of the produced mealworm as a food or feed [11,21,32]. We also found that the tested moisture sources showed no differential effect on the nutrient composition of harvested larvae. ...
Simple Summary
There is growing interest in insects as an alternative to animal proteins in the food and feed industries because of concerns about the unsustainability of existing production methods. Yellow mealworms (the larvae of the beetle Tenebrio molitor) are the most prominent insect being promoted for industrialization in this regard. Water requirements in mealworm farms rely on leafy vegetables (lettuce, napa cabbage, and white radish) or agricultural by-products, but their seasonality poses challenges in supply and storage. This study suggests that bean sprouts can be a superior substitute for lettuce, thus resolving problems in seasonal supply and cost fluctuations while improving productivity in mealworm farms. The study also shows that combining the vegetables with milk as well as increasing the amount of wet feed provided to the mealworms are additional means of enhancing larval growth rates.
Abstract
The Tenebrio molitor larva (yellow mealworm) holds great potential as a sustainable ingredient in food and feed. Optimizing its growth under mass farming requires careful water management. However, the availability and cost of fresh fruit and vegetables, which are the most widely used sources of water, can vary geographically, which calls for the search for relatively affordable, effective, and readily available alternatives. We evaluated the effect of three water sources (bean sprouts, lettuce leaves, and milk) as well as their quantity on weights and nutrient profiles of reared T. molitor larvae. Newly hatched mealworm larvae were maintained in controlled conditions of 25 °C and 60% relative humidity under a 12-h light–dark cycle for 15 weeks. When provided as sole-supplements, bean sprouts induced the highest larval weight gains compared to fresh lettuce leaves, which in turn performed better than milk and water. However, the addition of milk to the vegetable supplements enhanced growth. Furthermore, doubling the level of water supply resulted in 70% higher larval weights by week 14 post hatching. Moreover, water sources did not change the nutrient content of the harvested larvae. These findings suggest that mealworm productivity can be enhanced by increasing water feed levels and that bean sprouts may be a superior alternative to lettuce.
... Mealworms can grow exclusively on WB, which is a popular substrate for their production (Ortiz et al. 2016), with a short developmental time and high weight gain (Bordiean et al. 2022). Vegetable supplementation in the mealworm diet acts as an important source of phytosterols, water, essential fatty acids, and vitamins (van Broekhoven et al. 2015, Ortiz et al. 2016. ...
... Mealworms can grow exclusively on WB, which is a popular substrate for their production (Ortiz et al. 2016), with a short developmental time and high weight gain (Bordiean et al. 2022). Vegetable supplementation in the mealworm diet acts as an important source of phytosterols, water, essential fatty acids, and vitamins (van Broekhoven et al. 2015, Ortiz et al. 2016. The vegetables can also enhance the protein content of the diet, thereby shortening mealworm developmental time and increasing their weight gain and survival rate (Morales-Ramos et al. 2011, van Broekhoven et al. 2015. ...
... The T. molitor mother stock colony was maintained on WB at the Animal Rearing and Quarantine Unit of the International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (icipe), Kasarani, Nairobi, Kenya (S 01° 13ʹ14.6″; E 036° 53ʹ 44.5″, 1,612 meters above sea level) following the methods described by Ramos-Elorduy et al. (2002), Ortiz et al. (2016), Morales-Ramos et al. (2013), and Ribeiro et al. (2018) with slight modifications. The eggs collected from the stock colony were transferred into rectangular plastic trays (56 cm × 38 cm × 10 cm) containing 500 g of WB. ...
The utilization of yellow mealworm, Tenebrio molitor (Linnaeus, Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae), for food and feed is gaining interest globally. However, its production is hindered by expensive commercial diets. This study assessed mealworm growth performance, survival, bioconversion, and nutritional composition when fed on wheat bran (WB) with different inclusion levels (25%, 50%, 75%, and 100%) of Irish potato waste (PW). Results indicated that mealworms fed on diets with 25%–75% PW had increased body length and 1–2 times higher weight gain compared to sole WB and PW diets. The survival rate was 93%–94% across all diets. Mealworms fed on WB had a feed conversion ratio of 3.26, while the efficiency of diet conversion increased with PW inclusion levels. Mealworms fed on diets with 75% PW inclusion had the highest crude fat (48%) and energy levels (598 kcal/100 g), while sole WB produced mealworms with the highest crude protein (55%). The acid detergent fiber achieved using 100% WB was 2- to 3-fold higher, but the crude fiber and neutral detergent fiber did not vary significantly. Considerable amounts of lysine (1.6–2 mg/100 g), methionine (0.5–0.7 mg/100 g), leucine (1.4–2 mg/100 g), and threonine (0.8–1 mg/100 g) were achieved in the mealworm larvae. Our findings revealed that cheap agricultural by-products could be successfully used for the mass production of mealworms, substantially contributing to reduced production costs. Further exploration of the nutrient-dense mealworm larvae for the development of novel food and feed products is crucial.
... The growing industry of cultivating edible insects suffers from a clear lack of information that is verifiable about key elements of the chains of food production in comparison to conventional domestic animalsbased food production systems (Cortes Ortiz et al., 2016;Dobermann, 2017;. Therefore, it has become urgently necessary to acquire knowledge of insect husbandry and facility design; wild collection will serve as the basis for large-scale insect raising for markets. ...
Meeting food security is one of the major global challenges to ensure sufficient supply of food for current and future
generations, considering increasing population growth and climate change issues. Consequently, the consumption
of edible insects as an alternative food source has recently gained global attention for combating global food
insecurity. The present review aims to provide information on the recent progress in consumption of edible black
ant Smith, particularly Carebara vidua, as the main focus. The global consumption record of edible black ant Smith
and consumer acceptance as well as the strategies used to increase consumer acceptance of eating edible black
ant smith were proposed. In addition, the bioecology of black ant Smith was covered in this review. Further, details
are provided in this review on the benefits to health, economy, and environment of practicing eating edible insects
such as black ant Smith. Focus on the potential uses of Carebara vidua as a food ingredient in culinary cuisine
and their safety concerns from rearing until processing were highlighted. The SCOPUS database was analysed using
bibliometric software to understand the connections between recent scientific outputs and ant as human food
thoroughly. BioRender software was used to create scientific figures. It is noteworthy to highlight that black ant
smith contains high protein and micronutrient, especially iron and zinc are higher than that of plant-, animal-based
food, and seafood that contribute significantly to meeting the daily protein and mineral intake amount for human.
Moreover, the exhibition of antimicrobial and antioxidant properties of edible black ant smith suggests that it can
be used as a future functional ingredients for food, pharmaceutical, and cosmetics purposes. Hence, edible black
ant smith is promising as an alternative and potential source of food or medicine for sustainable food security.
