Hermetia illucens Larvae Reared on Different Substrates in Broiler Quail Diets: Effect on Physicochemical and Sensory Quality of the Quail Meat

摘要

Simple SummaryHermetia illucens (HI) is one of the most promising insect species that can be exploited as alternative and sustainable feed ingredients in poultry farming. HI larvae can grow on a wide range of decomposing organic substrates, thus transforming organic waste into high-value feed products. When HI is included in the diets of different poultry species, it provides positive results in terms of productive performance, the health status of the animals, and overall product quality. However, a common drawback highlighted by most studies has been a suboptimal quality of the meat lipids of HI-fed poultry (high amount of saturated fatty acids (SFAs) to the detriment of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA)). The present experiment tested the effects of a dietary inclusion of HI larvae farmed on two different substrates in the diets of meat quails. The two substrates were 100% layer mash (conventional rearing substrate) and 50:50 layer mash/fish offal, which aimed to increase the PUFA content of the larvae. The overall results showed that it was possible to improve the fatty acid profile of the larvae by modulating the rearing substrate, which in turn improved the lipid quality of the meat obtained from quails fed diets containing such larvae.