Partial Replacement of Soyabean Meal with Defatted Black Soldier Fly (<i>Hermetia illucens</i> L.) Larvae Meal Influences Blood Biochemistry and Modulate Oxidative Stress, but Not Growth Performance of Pigs

The production of soybean meal (SBM) can be linked to various issues related to the environment (e.g., deforestation, water waste, and transportation costs), and reducing its inclusion in pig diets by using alternative protein sources, such as insect meal, is an important challenge for nutritionists...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Gergana Yordanova, Radka Dimitrova Nedeva, Apostol Petrov Apostolov, Stephen Charles Mansbridge, Isobel Margaret Whiting, Alexander Mackay Mackenzie, Galina Dimitrova Nikolova, Yanka Dimitrova Karamalakova, Vasil Radoslavov Pirgozliev
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-04-01
Series:Animals
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/15/8/1077
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1849712318915543040
author Gergana Yordanova
Radka Dimitrova Nedeva
Apostol Petrov Apostolov
Stephen Charles Mansbridge
Isobel Margaret Whiting
Alexander Mackay Mackenzie
Galina Dimitrova Nikolova
Yanka Dimitrova Karamalakova
Vasil Radoslavov Pirgozliev
author_facet Gergana Yordanova
Radka Dimitrova Nedeva
Apostol Petrov Apostolov
Stephen Charles Mansbridge
Isobel Margaret Whiting
Alexander Mackay Mackenzie
Galina Dimitrova Nikolova
Yanka Dimitrova Karamalakova
Vasil Radoslavov Pirgozliev
author_sort Gergana Yordanova
collection DOAJ
description The production of soybean meal (SBM) can be linked to various issues related to the environment (e.g., deforestation, water waste, and transportation costs), and reducing its inclusion in pig diets by using alternative protein sources, such as insect meal, is an important challenge for nutritionists. This study aimed to compare the productive performance, dietary digestible energy (DE), nutrient digestibility, and some blood indices of growing Danube White pigs fed graded levels of Black Soldier fly (<i>Hermetia illucens</i> L.) larvae meal (BSFLM) at 0, 30, 60, 90, and 120 g/kg of diets, in replacement of SBM for 38 days, from 119 to 157 d old. Each diet was fed to eight pigs in individual boxes following randomization. Pigs grew according to breeders’ recommendations and did not have any clinical health problems. Replacing SBM did not change (<i>p</i> > 0.05) the pigs’ growth performance and DE, as only dietary fat digestibility increased in a linear fashion (<i>p</i> < 0.001), possibly due to the high BSFLM, i.e., the high-fat inclusion rate. There was a simultaneous rise in some oxidative damage indicators and an increase in antioxidant status, thus suggesting that further research involving longer feeding periods is needed to identify a potential time sequence of events. Overall, BSFLM is a promising ingredient in pig nutrition.
format Article
id doaj-art-01a6344f6dfa42818cdb01632fdd87dd
institution DOAJ
issn 2076-2615
language English
publishDate 2025-04-01
publisher MDPI AG
record_format Article
series Animals
spelling doaj-art-01a6344f6dfa42818cdb01632fdd87dd2025-08-20T03:14:19ZengMDPI AGAnimals2076-26152025-04-01158107710.3390/ani15081077Partial Replacement of Soyabean Meal with Defatted Black Soldier Fly (<i>Hermetia illucens</i> L.) Larvae Meal Influences Blood Biochemistry and Modulate Oxidative Stress, but Not Growth Performance of PigsGergana Yordanova0Radka Dimitrova Nedeva1Apostol Petrov Apostolov2Stephen Charles Mansbridge3Isobel Margaret Whiting4Alexander Mackay Mackenzie5Galina Dimitrova Nikolova6Yanka Dimitrova Karamalakova7Vasil Radoslavov Pirgozliev8Agricultural Academy, Agricultural Institute, 9700 Shumen, BulgariaAgricultural Academy, Agricultural Institute, 9700 Shumen, BulgariaAgricultural Academy, Agricultural Institute, 9700 Shumen, BulgariaAnimal Science Research Centre, Agriculture and Environment Department, Harper Adams University, Newport, Shropshire TF10 8NB, UKAnimal Science Research Centre, Agriculture and Environment Department, Harper Adams University, Newport, Shropshire TF10 8NB, UKAnimal Science Research Centre, Agriculture and Environment Department, Harper Adams University, Newport, Shropshire TF10 8NB, UKSocial Medicine, Health Management and Disaster Medicine, Disaster Medicine, Medical Faculty, Trakia University, 11 Armeiska Str., 6000 Stara Zagora, BulgariaDepartment of Medical Chemistry and Biochemistry, Medical Faculty, Trakia University, 11 Armeiska Str., 6000 Stara Zagora, BulgariaAnimal Science Research Centre, Agriculture and Environment Department, Harper Adams University, Newport, Shropshire TF10 8NB, UKThe production of soybean meal (SBM) can be linked to various issues related to the environment (e.g., deforestation, water waste, and transportation costs), and reducing its inclusion in pig diets by using alternative protein sources, such as insect meal, is an important challenge for nutritionists. This study aimed to compare the productive performance, dietary digestible energy (DE), nutrient digestibility, and some blood indices of growing Danube White pigs fed graded levels of Black Soldier fly (<i>Hermetia illucens</i> L.) larvae meal (BSFLM) at 0, 30, 60, 90, and 120 g/kg of diets, in replacement of SBM for 38 days, from 119 to 157 d old. Each diet was fed to eight pigs in individual boxes following randomization. Pigs grew according to breeders’ recommendations and did not have any clinical health problems. Replacing SBM did not change (<i>p</i> > 0.05) the pigs’ growth performance and DE, as only dietary fat digestibility increased in a linear fashion (<i>p</i> < 0.001), possibly due to the high BSFLM, i.e., the high-fat inclusion rate. There was a simultaneous rise in some oxidative damage indicators and an increase in antioxidant status, thus suggesting that further research involving longer feeding periods is needed to identify a potential time sequence of events. Overall, BSFLM is a promising ingredient in pig nutrition.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/15/8/1077insect mealblack soldier flygrowing pigsgrowth performancedigestible energynutrient digestibility
spellingShingle Gergana Yordanova
Radka Dimitrova Nedeva
Apostol Petrov Apostolov
Stephen Charles Mansbridge
Isobel Margaret Whiting
Alexander Mackay Mackenzie
Galina Dimitrova Nikolova
Yanka Dimitrova Karamalakova
Vasil Radoslavov Pirgozliev
Partial Replacement of Soyabean Meal with Defatted Black Soldier Fly (<i>Hermetia illucens</i> L.) Larvae Meal Influences Blood Biochemistry and Modulate Oxidative Stress, but Not Growth Performance of Pigs
Animals
insect meal
black soldier fly
growing pigs
growth performance
digestible energy
nutrient digestibility
title Partial Replacement of Soyabean Meal with Defatted Black Soldier Fly (<i>Hermetia illucens</i> L.) Larvae Meal Influences Blood Biochemistry and Modulate Oxidative Stress, but Not Growth Performance of Pigs
title_full Partial Replacement of Soyabean Meal with Defatted Black Soldier Fly (<i>Hermetia illucens</i> L.) Larvae Meal Influences Blood Biochemistry and Modulate Oxidative Stress, but Not Growth Performance of Pigs
title_fullStr Partial Replacement of Soyabean Meal with Defatted Black Soldier Fly (<i>Hermetia illucens</i> L.) Larvae Meal Influences Blood Biochemistry and Modulate Oxidative Stress, but Not Growth Performance of Pigs
title_full_unstemmed Partial Replacement of Soyabean Meal with Defatted Black Soldier Fly (<i>Hermetia illucens</i> L.) Larvae Meal Influences Blood Biochemistry and Modulate Oxidative Stress, but Not Growth Performance of Pigs
title_short Partial Replacement of Soyabean Meal with Defatted Black Soldier Fly (<i>Hermetia illucens</i> L.) Larvae Meal Influences Blood Biochemistry and Modulate Oxidative Stress, but Not Growth Performance of Pigs
title_sort partial replacement of soyabean meal with defatted black soldier fly i hermetia illucens i l larvae meal influences blood biochemistry and modulate oxidative stress but not growth performance of pigs
topic insect meal
black soldier fly
growing pigs
growth performance
digestible energy
nutrient digestibility
url https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/15/8/1077
work_keys_str_mv AT gerganayordanova partialreplacementofsoyabeanmealwithdefattedblacksoldierflyihermetiaillucensillarvaemealinfluencesbloodbiochemistryandmodulateoxidativestressbutnotgrowthperformanceofpigs
AT radkadimitrovanedeva partialreplacementofsoyabeanmealwithdefattedblacksoldierflyihermetiaillucensillarvaemealinfluencesbloodbiochemistryandmodulateoxidativestressbutnotgrowthperformanceofpigs
AT apostolpetrovapostolov partialreplacementofsoyabeanmealwithdefattedblacksoldierflyihermetiaillucensillarvaemealinfluencesbloodbiochemistryandmodulateoxidativestressbutnotgrowthperformanceofpigs
AT stephencharlesmansbridge partialreplacementofsoyabeanmealwithdefattedblacksoldierflyihermetiaillucensillarvaemealinfluencesbloodbiochemistryandmodulateoxidativestressbutnotgrowthperformanceofpigs
AT isobelmargaretwhiting partialreplacementofsoyabeanmealwithdefattedblacksoldierflyihermetiaillucensillarvaemealinfluencesbloodbiochemistryandmodulateoxidativestressbutnotgrowthperformanceofpigs
AT alexandermackaymackenzie partialreplacementofsoyabeanmealwithdefattedblacksoldierflyihermetiaillucensillarvaemealinfluencesbloodbiochemistryandmodulateoxidativestressbutnotgrowthperformanceofpigs
AT galinadimitrovanikolova partialreplacementofsoyabeanmealwithdefattedblacksoldierflyihermetiaillucensillarvaemealinfluencesbloodbiochemistryandmodulateoxidativestressbutnotgrowthperformanceofpigs
AT yankadimitrovakaramalakova partialreplacementofsoyabeanmealwithdefattedblacksoldierflyihermetiaillucensillarvaemealinfluencesbloodbiochemistryandmodulateoxidativestressbutnotgrowthperformanceofpigs
AT vasilradoslavovpirgozliev partialreplacementofsoyabeanmealwithdefattedblacksoldierflyihermetiaillucensillarvaemealinfluencesbloodbiochemistryandmodulateoxidativestressbutnotgrowthperformanceofpigs