Black Soldier Fly Larvae Meal as a Sustainable Fishmeal Substitute for Juvenile Hybrid Grouper: Impacts on Growth, Immunity, and Gut Health
<b>Background:</b> Aquaculture increasingly seeks sustainable alternatives to fishmeal, a key protein source in fish diets. Black Soldier Fly Larvae (BSFL) meal is a promising substitute, but its effects on fish growth, immunity, and gut health need further investigation. This study aime...
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MDPI AG
2025-07-01
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| author | Yan Chen Wenfeng Li Minyi Zhong Jun Ma Bing Chen Junming Cao Jiun-Yan Loh Hai Huang |
| author_facet | Yan Chen Wenfeng Li Minyi Zhong Jun Ma Bing Chen Junming Cao Jiun-Yan Loh Hai Huang |
| author_sort | Yan Chen |
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| description | <b>Background:</b> Aquaculture increasingly seeks sustainable alternatives to fishmeal, a key protein source in fish diets. Black Soldier Fly Larvae (BSFL) meal is a promising substitute, but its effects on fish growth, immunity, and gut health need further investigation. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of varying BSFL inclusion levels on juvenile hybrid grouper (<i>Epinephelus fuscoguttatus</i> ♀ × <i>Epinephelus lanceolatus</i> ♂), a widely farmed species in tropical aquaculture. <b>Methods:</b> Juvenile hybrid grouper were fed diets with four levels of BSFL substitution (0%, 10%, 30%, and 50%) over 56 days. Key metrics such as growth performance, immune function, antioxidant capacity, and gut transcriptome were analyzed. <b>Results:</b> Replacing fish meal with BSFL meal had no significant effect on the survival rate of hybrid grouper (<i>p</i> > 0.05) but significantly affected growth performance, immune function, and antioxidant capacity (<i>p</i> < 0.05). BSFL10 and BSFL30 groups showed good growth and elevated immune enzyme activity, with significantly higher HIS levels (<i>p</i> < 0.05); the Wf of the BSFL10 group was comparable to the control. However, excessive replacement (BSFL50) led to reduced growth (Wf significantly lower, <i>p</i> < 0.05) and increased oxidative stress, as indicated by higher CAT activity (<i>p</i> < 0.05). Transcriptomic analysis revealed upregulation of immune- and metabolism-related genes with increasing BSFL levels, with immune pathways notably activated in the BSFL50 group. <b>Conclusions:</b> BSFL meal is a promising alternative to fishmeal in juvenile hybrid grouper diets, with moderate inclusion (10–30%) being most beneficial. Excessive BSFL substitution (50%) may impair fish health, highlighting the need for careful formulation in aquaculture diets. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-bb4571fedadc4cc49ed6cb38c8883e62 |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2410-3888 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-07-01 |
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| series | Fishes |
| spelling | doaj-art-bb4571fedadc4cc49ed6cb38c8883e622025-08-20T02:45:34ZengMDPI AGFishes2410-38882025-07-0110734410.3390/fishes10070344Black Soldier Fly Larvae Meal as a Sustainable Fishmeal Substitute for Juvenile Hybrid Grouper: Impacts on Growth, Immunity, and Gut HealthYan Chen0Wenfeng Li1Minyi Zhong2Jun Ma3Bing Chen4Junming Cao5Jiun-Yan Loh6Hai Huang7College of Fisheries and Life Science, Hainan Tropical Ocean University, Sanya 572000, ChinaCollege of Fisheries and Life Science, Hainan Tropical Ocean University, Sanya 572000, ChinaYuYi Habitat consultation Co., Ltd., Guangzhou 510642, ChinaCollege of Fisheries and Life Science, Hainan Tropical Ocean University, Sanya 572000, ChinaInstitute of Animal Science, Guangdong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Guangzhou 510640, ChinaInstitute of Animal Science, Guangdong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Guangzhou 510640, ChinaTropical Futures Institute, James Cook University Singapore, 149 Sims Drive, Singapore 387380, SingaporeCollege of Fisheries and Life Science, Hainan Tropical Ocean University, Sanya 572000, China<b>Background:</b> Aquaculture increasingly seeks sustainable alternatives to fishmeal, a key protein source in fish diets. Black Soldier Fly Larvae (BSFL) meal is a promising substitute, but its effects on fish growth, immunity, and gut health need further investigation. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of varying BSFL inclusion levels on juvenile hybrid grouper (<i>Epinephelus fuscoguttatus</i> ♀ × <i>Epinephelus lanceolatus</i> ♂), a widely farmed species in tropical aquaculture. <b>Methods:</b> Juvenile hybrid grouper were fed diets with four levels of BSFL substitution (0%, 10%, 30%, and 50%) over 56 days. Key metrics such as growth performance, immune function, antioxidant capacity, and gut transcriptome were analyzed. <b>Results:</b> Replacing fish meal with BSFL meal had no significant effect on the survival rate of hybrid grouper (<i>p</i> > 0.05) but significantly affected growth performance, immune function, and antioxidant capacity (<i>p</i> < 0.05). BSFL10 and BSFL30 groups showed good growth and elevated immune enzyme activity, with significantly higher HIS levels (<i>p</i> < 0.05); the Wf of the BSFL10 group was comparable to the control. However, excessive replacement (BSFL50) led to reduced growth (Wf significantly lower, <i>p</i> < 0.05) and increased oxidative stress, as indicated by higher CAT activity (<i>p</i> < 0.05). Transcriptomic analysis revealed upregulation of immune- and metabolism-related genes with increasing BSFL levels, with immune pathways notably activated in the BSFL50 group. <b>Conclusions:</b> BSFL meal is a promising alternative to fishmeal in juvenile hybrid grouper diets, with moderate inclusion (10–30%) being most beneficial. Excessive BSFL substitution (50%) may impair fish health, highlighting the need for careful formulation in aquaculture diets.https://www.mdpi.com/2410-3888/10/7/344black soldier fly larvaefishmeal replacementhybrid grouperimmune functionantioxidant capacity |
| spellingShingle | Yan Chen Wenfeng Li Minyi Zhong Jun Ma Bing Chen Junming Cao Jiun-Yan Loh Hai Huang Black Soldier Fly Larvae Meal as a Sustainable Fishmeal Substitute for Juvenile Hybrid Grouper: Impacts on Growth, Immunity, and Gut Health Fishes black soldier fly larvae fishmeal replacement hybrid grouper immune function antioxidant capacity |
| title | Black Soldier Fly Larvae Meal as a Sustainable Fishmeal Substitute for Juvenile Hybrid Grouper: Impacts on Growth, Immunity, and Gut Health |
| title_full | Black Soldier Fly Larvae Meal as a Sustainable Fishmeal Substitute for Juvenile Hybrid Grouper: Impacts on Growth, Immunity, and Gut Health |
| title_fullStr | Black Soldier Fly Larvae Meal as a Sustainable Fishmeal Substitute for Juvenile Hybrid Grouper: Impacts on Growth, Immunity, and Gut Health |
| title_full_unstemmed | Black Soldier Fly Larvae Meal as a Sustainable Fishmeal Substitute for Juvenile Hybrid Grouper: Impacts on Growth, Immunity, and Gut Health |
| title_short | Black Soldier Fly Larvae Meal as a Sustainable Fishmeal Substitute for Juvenile Hybrid Grouper: Impacts on Growth, Immunity, and Gut Health |
| title_sort | black soldier fly larvae meal as a sustainable fishmeal substitute for juvenile hybrid grouper impacts on growth immunity and gut health |
| topic | black soldier fly larvae fishmeal replacement hybrid grouper immune function antioxidant capacity |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2410-3888/10/7/344 |
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