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Exploring the Impact of Dietary EPA/DHA Supplementation on Lipid Metabolism of Tenebrio molitor Larvae
by
, , and
Qiwei Liu
1,
Xiangxiang Ni
1,
Chengcheng Chen
1,
Jingjing Xu
1,
Enqi Pei
1,
Aifen Yang
1,
Mingfeng Xu
1,*,
Xiu Wang
2,*,
Sida Fu
3,* and
Rongrong Yu
4,* 1
College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou 311121, China
2
School of Advanced Materials Engineering, Jiaxing Nanhu University, Jiaxing 314001, China
3
College of Biological and Chemical Engineering, Jiaxing University, Jiaxing 314001, China
4
Department of Pediatrics, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou 325000, China
*
Authors to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Insects 2025, 16(10), 1007; https://doi.org/10.3390/insects16101007 (registering DOI)
Submission received: 14 August 2025
/
Revised: 19 September 2025
/
Accepted: 24 September 2025
/
Published: 28 September 2025
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Studies on Resource Insects)
Simple Summary
Tenebrio molitor (T. molitor) larvae are rich in high-quality fats, but lack essential omega-3 fatty acids, specifically docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA). This study investigated the incorporation of fish oil-containing DHA and EPA in both ethyl ester and triglyceride-forms, into the diet of T. molitor larvae. The results demonstrated that the larvae effectively converted these exogenous fatty acids into more bioavailable phospholipids, significantly improving their nutritional profile. Although a high dose of fish oil slightly reduced weight gain, the larvae maintained healthy growth conditions. Furthermore, mealworms act as natural “bioconverters”, transforming poorly absorbed omega-3 compounds into more biologically accessible forms. These findings offer promising strategies for developing nutritionally enhanced foods and feeds, with important implications for human and animal health.
Abstract
Tenbrio molitor (T. molitor) is a widely utilized feed ingredient, though it is deficient in long-chain omega-3 fatty acids, such as eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). To address this, dietary supplements containing EPA and DHA in ethyl ester and triglyceride forms were administered to investigate the lipid metabolism and bioenhancement potential of T. molitor. The larvae exhibited normal growth across all treatment groups. EPA/DHA levels were significantly elevated in T. molitor-enriched diets, with newly identified phospholipid species including phosphatidylcholine 18:1_20:5 (PC 18:1_20:5) and phosphatidylethanolamine 18:0_20:5 (PE 18:0_20:5). KEGG pathway analysis revealed that glycerol phospholipid metabolism (ko00564), endogenous cannabinoid signaling (ko04723), and cell division (ko04148) were the core pathways that promoted phospholipid synthesis and oxidative lipid conversion (such as peroxide value-phosphatidylcholine, POV-PC). T. molitor activates glycerophospholipid metabolism, converting EPA/DHA into more bioavailable medium- and short-chain phospholipids, thereby enhancing its nutritional value and providing a new strategy for the development of functional foods/feeds.
Keywords:
Tenebrio molitor; lipid metabolism; EPA; DHA; nutritional value
