Use of Hermetia illucens larvae as a dietary protein source: Effects on growth performance, carcass traits, and meat quality in finishing pigs

Miao Yu; Zhenming Li; Weidong Chen; Ting Rong; Gang Wang; Jianhao Li; Xianyong Ma

doi:10.1016/j.meatsci.2019.05.008

Use of Hermetia illucens larvae as a dietary protein source: Effects on growth performance, carcass traits, and meat quality in finishing pigs

Meat Sci. 2019 Dec:158:107837. doi: 10.1016/j.meatsci.2019.05.008. Epub 2019 May 8.

Authors

Miao Yu¹, Zhenming Li¹, Weidong Chen¹, Ting Rong¹, Gang Wang¹, Jianhao Li¹, Xianyong Ma²

Affiliations

¹ Institute of Animal Science, Guangdong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510640, China; State Key Laboratory of Livestock and Poultry Breeding, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510640, China; Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition and Feed Science in South China, Ministry of Agriculture, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510640, China; Guangdong Public Laboratory of Animal Breeding and Nutrition, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510640, China; Guangdong Engineering Technology Research Center of Animal Meat Quality and Safety Control and Evaluation, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510640, China.
² Institute of Animal Science, Guangdong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510640, China; State Key Laboratory of Livestock and Poultry Breeding, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510640, China; Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition and Feed Science in South China, Ministry of Agriculture, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510640, China; Guangdong Public Laboratory of Animal Breeding and Nutrition, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510640, China; Guangdong Engineering Technology Research Center of Animal Meat Quality and Safety Control and Evaluation, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510640, China. Electronic address: maxianyong@gdaas.cn.

PMID: 31357027
DOI: 10.1016/j.meatsci.2019.05.008

Abstract

This study investigated the effects of feeding Hermetia illucens larvae (0, 4, and 8%; HI0, HI4, and HI8 groups, respectively) on growth performance, carcass traits, and meat quality of finishing pigs. Results showed that the HI4 diet increased (P < .05) final body weight and average daily gain and decreased (P < .05) feed to gain ratio compared with HI0 and HI8 group. HI4 and HI8 diets increased (P < .05) loin-eye area, marbling scores, and inosine monophosphate content of longissimus thoracis (LT) compared with HI0 diet. The intramuscular fat content was greater (P < .05) in HI4 group than in the HI0 group. Furthermore, HI4 diet up-regulated (P < .05) lipogenic genes and MyHC-IIa mRNA levels in LT compared with HI0 diet. Our results indicated that dietary inclusion of H. illucens larvae has a beneficial impact on growth performance and meat quality, and the underlying mechanism may be due to the altered lipogenic potential induced by H. illucens larvae.

Keywords: Finishing pigs; Hermetia illucens larvae; Intramuscular fat; Lipid metabolism; Meat quality.

MeSH terms

Adipose Tissue
Animal Feed / analysis
Animals
Body Composition
Body Weight
Diet / veterinary*
Dietary Proteins
Diptera*
Female
Gene Expression
Inosine Monophosphate / analysis
Larva
Muscle, Skeletal / chemistry
Pork Meat / analysis
Pork Meat / standards*
Sus scrofa / growth & development*
Sus scrofa / metabolism

Substances

Dietary Proteins
Inosine Monophosphate