Black soldier fly larvae oil as a potential nutraceutical ingredient in diets for hybrid catfish Ictalurus punctatus × I. furcatus juveniles

Authors: DE SENHA FARIAS, ANA BEATRIZ - Nilton Lins University; SANTANA, THIAGO - Federal University Of Amazonas (UFAM); Older, Caitlin; HUANG, JING - Mississippi State University; JORDAN, HEATHER - Mississippi State University; AFFONSO, ELIZABETH - National Institute Of Amazonian Research; GATLIN III, DELBERT - Texas A&M University; GRIFFIN, MATT - Mississippi State University; GONCALVES, LIGIA - National Institute Of Amazonian Research; YAMAMOTO, FERNANDO - Mississippi State University

Submitted to: Aquaculture
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 5/9/2025
Publication Date: 9/30/2025
Citation: De Senha Farias, A., Santana, T.M., Older, C.E., Huang, J., Jordan, H.R., Affonso, E.G., Gatlin Iii, D.M., Griffin, M.J., Goncalves, L.U., Yamamoto, F.Y. 2025. Black soldier fly larvae oil as a potential nutraceutical ingredient in diets for hybrid catfish Ictalurus punctatus × I. furcatus juveniles. Aquaculture. 608:742697. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aquaculture.2025.742697.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aquaculture.2025.742697

Interpretive Summary: Research into alternative ingredients has become an important focus of the expanding aquaculture industry, in order to reduce the financial burden of feed costs for producers. Insect products have stood out as potential alternatives, including those derived from black soldier fly. Researchers at Mississippi State University in Stoneville, MS, in collaboration with scientists from the USDA ARS Warmwater Aquaculture Research Unit, Nilton Lins University, the Federal University of Amazonas, Texas A&M University, and the National Institute of Amazonian Research conducted research into the potential of black soldier fly larvae (BSFL) oil as an alternative for catfish oil, which is ingredient commonly used in catfish feeds. BSFL oil was added to diets in amounts to replace 0%, 25,%, 50%, 75%, and 100%, in order to evaluate what level of catfish oil replacement would be appropriate for hybrid catfish. Weight gain, feed efficiency, viscerosomatic index, protein conversion, and fatty acid profile of the fish were significantly affected by BSFL oil inclusion, however no differences in composition (dry matter, protein, lipid, ash) of catfish tissues were observed. Gut microbiota were similarly unaffected. After being fed these diets, fish were subjected to a challenge with bacterial pathogen Aeromonas hydrophila, which indicated BSFL oil did not compromise fish survival. The results of this study suggest BSFL oil can replace up to 50% catfish oil in hybrid catfish oil, without impairing production performance or making fish more susceptible to Aeromonas hydrophila.

Technical Abstract: The present study evaluated the potential of black soldier fly larvae (BSFL) oil as a substitute for catfish oil in diets of hybrid catfish juveniles. Nine hundred hybrid catfish juveniles (~17.4 g initial weight) were equally distributed in 30, 110-L aquaria, operating as a recirculating system. Experimental diets were formulated to be isonitrogenous (36% of crude protein), isolipidic (8% of crude lipid), and isocaloric (20.45 MJ/kg of digestible energy) containing BSFL oil as a substitute for catfish oil at 0, 25% 50%, 75%, and 100% replacement levels. Fish were fed to apparent satiation twice a day for 60 days. At the end of the feeding trial, the fish had ~361% weight gain. BSFL oil inclusion significantly affected weight gain, feed efficiency, and viscerosomatic index, with a negative impact on production performance observed at inclusion levels exceeding 50%. Based on broken line regression analysis, the maximum replacement of catfish oil with BSFL oil ranged between 54% and 62%. Dietary treatment did not produce any observable differences in the alpha and beta diversity metrics of the intestinal microbiota, consequently, no significant LEfSe results were found. Similarly, BSFL oil did not lead to differences in moisture, protein, lipid, or ash of whole-body tissues. Protein conversion efficiency was significantly affected by BSFL oil inclusion, with a maximum replacement of 25%. Fatty acid composition of fish fillet demonstrated differences among dietary treatments, mainly due to reductions in eicosapentaenoic and docosahexaenoic acids. Further, dietary treatments did not negatively impact survival in response to Aeromonas hydrophila challenge. These data suggest BSFL oil can be included at 1.95% (50% catfish oil replacement) in hybrid catfish feeds without significantly impairing production performance.