Fishmeal Dietary Replacement Up to 50%: A Comparative Study of Two Insect Meals for Rainbow Trout ( Oncorhynchus mykiss )

• Published in: Animals (Basel) Vol. 12; no. 2; p. 179
• Main Authors: Melenchón, Federico, de Mercado, Eduardo, Pula, Héctor J, Cardenete, Gabriel, Barroso, Fernando G, Fabrikov, Dmitri, Lourenço, Helena M, Pessoa, María-Fernanda, Lagos, Leidy, Weththasinghe, Pabodha, Cortés, Marcos, Tomás-Almenar, Cristina
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland MDPI AG 12-01-2022; MDPI
• Subjects: Alternatives; Antioxidants; Aquaculture; black soldier fly; Comparative studies; Damage prevention; Diet; Enzymatic activity; Experiments; Feeds; Fish meal; fish nutrition; fishmeal replacement; Hermetia illucens; Histology; Ingredients; Insects; Intestine; Larvae; mealworm; Metabolism; Nutrition; Nutrition research; Oncorhynchus mykiss; Proteins; rainbow trout; Salmon; Sustainability; Sustainable aquaculture; Tenebrio molitor; Trout; Tumor necrosis factor-TNF; Spain; aquaculture; fish nutrition; mealworm; rainbow trout; black soldier fly; fishmeal replacement
• ISSN: 2076-2615; 2076-2615
• DOI: 10.3390/ani12020179

The demand of optimal protein for human consumption is growing. The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has highlighted aquaculture as one of the most promising alternatives for this protein supply gap due to the high efficiency of fish growth. However, aquaculture has been facing its own sustainability problem, because its high demand for protein has been traditionally satisfied with the use of fishmeal (FM) as the main source. Some of the most promising and sustainable protein substitutes for FM come from insects. The present manuscript provides insight into an experiment carried out on rainbow trout (
) with a 50% replacement of FM with different larvae insect meals:
(HI), and
(TM). TM showed better results for growth, protein utilization and more active digestive function, supported by intestinal histological changes. Liver histology and intermediary metabolism did not show relevant changes between insect meals, while other parameters such as antioxidant enzyme activities and tissue damage indicators showed the potential of insect meals as functional ingredients.