ORCID

Abstract

This study investigated the effects of dietary black soldier fly (BSF) larvae, Hermetia illucens, meal on growth performance, feed utilization, intestinal health, and immune response in Nile tilapia, Oreochromis niloticus, juveniles. The fish (initial weight: 7.28 ± 0.09 g) were reared in a recirculatory aquaculture system (RAS) and fed diets containing different levels of defatted BSF larvae meal: 0% (control diet), 20% (BSF20), and 40% (BSF40). At the end of the feeding trial, the final body weight, weight gain, specific growth rate (SGR), protein efficiency ratio (PER), and feed conversion ratio (FCR) were significantly (p < 0.05) improved with increasing BSF meal inclusion levels in the diet. Histological analysis of the intestine revealed that mucosal fold length (MFL), muscularis thickness (MT), and goblet cell density (GCD) were significantly elevated by the BSF meal compared with the control. In addition, intraepithelial lymphocytes (IELs) and the enterocyte microvilli length were significantly elevated in BSF40-fed fish compared with the control. Gene expression analysis showed that intestinal chitin digestion-related (endochitinase A) and amino acid transporter (Slc6a18) genes were not significantly affected by the BSF meal. However, the expression of peptide transporter Slc15a1a was upregulated in the fish fed BSF40 compared to the control. Moreover, posterior intestine and head kidney cytokine (IL-1β, TNF-α, and IL-10) gene expression levels were not significantly affected by the inclusion of the BSF meal. Therefore, these results suggest that the BSF meal up to a 40% inclusion level can be used as an alternative protein source in the diets of Nile tilapia juveniles to promote growth and intestinal health.

Publication Date

2025-06-09

Publication Title

Journal of the World Aquaculture Society

Volume

56

Issue

3

ISSN

0893-8849

Acceptance Date

2025-05-19

Deposit Date

2025-06-30

Funding

The authors would like to acknowledge the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) for funding this research project through the Commonwealth Scholarship Commission (CSC). The authors extend gratitude to Glenn Harper, Dr. Joceline Triner, Victoria Commack, Natalie Sweet, Nicholas Crocker, and all members of the Fish Health and Nutrition Research team at the University of Plymouth for their invaluable technical support. This research was funded by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) through the Commonwealth Scholarship Commission (CSC) under grant number ZMCS\u20102022\u2010676.

Keywords

Hermetia illucens, alternative ingredient, aquaculture, black soldier fly, insect, tilapia

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