Simple Summary
In modern poultry farming, conventional black soldier fly larva feed shows inconsistent effects on broilers, so it is necessary to develop improved insect feed ingredients. This study first analyzed the nutritional components of enzymatically hydrolyzed black soldier fly larval homogenate, which is rich in easily absorbed protein and lauric acid. We then fed one-day-old broilers with diets containing 2% and 6% of this product for 21 days, and evaluated animal growth, meat quality, intestinal health, blood status and economic benefits. The results showed that adding 6% of the product obviously improved broiler growth, carcass traits and meat quality, altered intestinal morphology and yielded a preliminary increase in estimated farming profit under the conditions of this 21-day starter broiler trial. The 2% addition group had no noticeable positive effects. All broilers maintained normal physical conditions throughout the trial. We conclude that the 6% group produced better phenotypic outcomes relative to the control and 2% treatments. This modified insect product has good application prospects in poultry feed, and farmers should balance production performance and animal health during practical use.
Abstract
Conventional unprocessed black soldier fly larval meal often exerts inconsistent growth-promoting effects on broilers. This variability may arise from multiple factors, including dietary inclusion level, rearing substrate, processing method, defatting status, and nutritional composition; indigestible macromolecular proteins and chitin are among these contributing factors. Enzymatically hydrolyzed Hermetia illucens larval homogenate (EH-BSFLH) is rich in small peptides and lauric acid, which theoretically improve nutrient bioavailability and intestinal health, making it a promising novel functional feed additive. This study aimed to characterize the nutritional profile of a commercially available enzyme hydrolyzed Hermetia illucens larval homogenate (EH-BSFLH), and to explore the effects of 2% and 6% dietary EH-BSFLH supplementation on 1–21-day-old Arbor Acres (AA) broilers. A total of 126 one-day-old AA broilers were randomly assigned to three treatments in this 21-day starter feeding trial, with seven pens per treatment. Nutrient composition of EH-BSFLH and multiple phenotypic indicators of broilers were measured and statistically compared. EH-BSFLH utilized in this essay possessed unique nutritional characteristics, including high acid-soluble protein proportion (96.41% relative to total protein), abundant lauric acid (26.62% of total fatty acids), and a calcium-to-phosphorus (Ca/P) ratio of 3.10:1. The 6% EH-BSFLH supplementation increased (p < 0.02, FDR < 0.05) 21-d live weight, average daily feed intake (ADFI), average daily gain (ADG), eviscerated yield and semi-eviscerated yield relative to the control, while no significant difference in feed conversion ratio (FCR) was detected across treatments. Dietary EH-BSFLH at 2% and 6% increased (p < 0.02, FDR < 0.05) 24 h post-mortem pH of breast and thigh muscles, without affecting meat color or shear force. The 6% EH-BSFLH group elevated (p < 0.02, FDR < 0.05) 10 amino acids in thigh muscle, while maintaining stable essential amino acids/total amino acids (EAA/TAA) and essential amino acids/non-essential amino acids (EAA/NEAA) ratios. Moreover, 6% EH-BSFLH decreased duodenal crypt depth and increased Villus Height/Crypt Depth (VH/CD) ratios in duodenum and jejunum (p < 0.02, FDR < 0.05). Serum biochemical variables were generally comparable between groups, though differences were observed for glucose, albumin, alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, and total cholesterol (TCHO) (p < 0.02, FDR < 0.05). None of these values indicated obvious pathological alterations. This modified insect product exhibits promising application potential for young broiler feeding under the current trial conditions, and the observed shifts in serum metabolic indices may provide partial reference for balancing production performance and broiler physiological status in practical diet formulation.