Our publications

Authors: Ognik K., Kozłowski J., Stępniowska, Listos P., Józefiak D., Zduńczyk Z., Jankowski J.

Publications: Animals, 10(8):1339, DOI: 10.3390/ani10081339

Research indicates that partially replacing soybean meal with full-fat H. illucens larva meal in poultry diets yields beneficial effects. It was hypothesized that such a dietary supplementation for young turkeys would improve their antioxidant profile and metabolism. Results showed that the optimal inclusion rate of larva meal should not exceed 5% of the feed.

Authors: Jankowski J., Kozłowski K., Zduńczyk Z., Stępniowska A., Ognik K., Kierończyk B., Józefiak D., Juśkiewicz J.

Publications: Animal Feed Science and Technology, DOI: 10.1016/j.anifeedsci.2021.114879

The aim of the study was to evaluate full-fat Hermetia illucens larvae meal as an alternative protein source in the diet of young turkeys, assessed based on body weight gain and intestinal function. The meal improved the activity of microbial enzymes and increased the concentration of butyric acid in the intestines. Although it did not significantly affect body weight gain, it linearly reduced the feed conversion ratio, confirming its effectiveness.

Authors: Paweł Marciniak, Arkadiusz Urbański, Jan Lubawy, Monika Szymczak, Joanna Pacholska-Bogalska, Szymon Chowański, Mariola Kuczer & Grzegorz Rosiński

Publication: Journal of Comparative Physiology B, 190:521–534

The study showed that the neuropeptide sNPF in Tenebrio molitor affects not only appetite and metabolism but also male reproductive functions. The identified receptor Tenmo-sNPFR in reproductive tissues responds to peptide administration, leading to changes in protein levels and gonad mass, modifications in sperm count, and contractions of the ejaculatory duct. This finding indicates that sNPF integrates nutritional, growth, and reproductive signals.

Authors: Jędrzej Sypniewski, Bartosz Kierończyk, Abdelbasset Benzertiha, Zuzanna Mikołajczak, Ewa Pruszyńska-Oszmałek, Paweł Kołodziejski, Maciej Sassek, Mateusz Rawski, Wojciech Czekała, Damian Józefiak

Publication: British Poultry Science

The aim of the study was to replace part (50%) or all of soybean oil with Hermetia illucens larval fat and to assess the effects of this substitution on growth, nutrient digestibility, the mass and length of internal organs, pancreatic enzyme activity, gut microbiome, and immune parameters in young turkeys.

Complete replacement of soybean oil with BSFL fat did not negatively affect weight gain, intestinal morphology, nutrient digestibility, or meat quality. Additionally, it reduced the growth of potentially pathogenic bacteria from the Enterobacteriaceae family and lowered IL‑6 levels. Substituting 50% of the oil decreased TNF‑α concentrations while maintaining digestive activity and health parameters comparable to the control.

Therefore, Hermetia illucens larval fat can fully replace soybean oil in turkey feed while supporting the body’s defense mechanisms and exhibiting bacteriostatic effects.

Authors: A Benzertiha, B Kierończyk, P Kołodziejski, E Pruszyńska–Oszmałek, M Rawski,D Józefiak, A Józefiak

Publications: Poultry Science, pez450, doi.org/10.3382/ps/pez450

This study was conducted to investigate the effect of insect full-fat meals (Tenebrio molitor and Zophobas morio larvae), added “on top” of a complete diet or calculated into diets, on the growth performance, selected blood, and immune system traits of broiler chickens. 1,000 one-day-old female Ross 308 broiler chicks were used in 2 independent experiments. In the first trial, the birds were randomly assigned to 6 treatments, 10 replicate pens per treatment, and 10 birds per pen, i.e., negative control; positive control with salinomycin addition (60 mg/kg diet), and addition of 0.2% and 0.3% of T. molitor and Z. morio full-fat meals “on top“. In the second experiment, 4 treatments, 10 replicate pens per treatment, and 10 birds per pen were set, i.e., negative control, positive control with salinomycin addition (60 mg/kg diet), and 0.3% of T. molitor and Z. morio full-fat meals calculated in the diets. In both trials the supplementation of insects increased the BWG (Exp. 1: P = 0.024; Exp. 2: P = 0.046) and FI (Exp. 1: P = 0.022; Exp. 2: P = 0.026), and no negative effect on the FCR was recorded in experiment one (P = 0.514), however in second trial insects addition increased FCR values (P = 0.011). In addition, in the first trial, groups fed insects and PC comparing to NC decreased the IgY (P = 0.045) and IgM, (P < 0.001) levels. In the second experiment, IgM levels were also decreased (P < 0.001) in groups fed insects comparing to NC. Moreover, in first trial the IgM levels were negatively correlated to the BWG (r = –0.4845) and FI (r = –0.4986), with statistically significant values (P < 0.001). In conclusion, the current results confirmed that small amount addition (0.2% and 0.3%) of T. molitor and Z. morio full-fat meals to the diet of broiler chickens can improve growth performance and change selected the immune system traits.

Authors: Agata Józefiak, Silvia Nogales-Mérida, Mateusz Rawski, Bartosz Kierończyk, Jan Mazurkiewicz

Publications: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6798509/

Insects in the fish diet are a natural source of protein, fat, and other nutrients. These meals are considered an ecological replacement for fishmeal to improve growth parameters. The application of insect meals to fish diets has been studied, especially in continental fish. Data regarding the effects of insect meals on the gut health of Siberian sturgeon are not available. This study investigated the effects of full-fat Hermetia illucens (HI) and Tenebrio molitor (TM) meals on the gut health of juvenile Siberian sturgeon. Growth performance, gastrointestinal tract (GIT) histomorphology and the microbiome composition of juvenile Siberian sturgeon were analyzed.

Authors: Kierończyk B., Rawski M., Józefiak A., Mazurkiewicz J., Świątkiewicz S., Siwek M., Bednarczyk M., Szumacher-Strabela M., Cieślak A., Benzertiha A., Józefiak D.

Publication: Animal Feed Science and Technology, 240, 170–183, doi: 10.1016/j.anifeedsci.2018.04.002

The aim of this study was to investigate how oil obtained via super-critical CO₂ extraction from
Tenebrio molitor (TM) and Zophobas morio (ZM) larvae affects the growth performance, nutrient digestibility,
lipid fatty acid composition of liver and breast tissue, and the expression of selected genes in the liver of broiler chickens.
Two independent experiments were conducted on 72 and 108 one-day-old female Ross 308 chicks, respectively.
Birds were fed soybean–maize diets developed by replacing 50 g/kg of the basal diet with various fats, i.e., soybean oil (SO) and TM (Exp. 1),
or SO, TM, and ZM (Exp. 2). In both trials, birds were kept in metabolic cages over a 28-day period.

The fatty acid profile of used energy sources was determined. Both insect oils had higher monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA)
and lower polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) concentrations compared to SO.
The addition of TM and ZM oil to the basal diet showed similar or better growth performance results compared to the SO diet
over the entire experimental period. Insect oils addition increased nitrogen retention and the apparent digestibility
of the ether extract in the total tract at days 7, 14, and 21 during TM administration.
Similar effects on the apparent ileal digestibility of crude protein and ether extract or on AMEN were recorded among all groups in the second trial.

The usage of selected insect oils significantly affected the fatty acid compositions of liver and breast tissue.
Only TM addition had a positive effect on the PUFA (P = 0.004), MUFA (P < 0.001), UFA (P = 0.016), and SFA (P = 0.016) of breast muscle. Simultaneously, the TM treatment lowered the thrombogenic (P = 0.011) and atherogenic (P = 0.001) indices in the breast. The positive influence of insect oils addition to the basal diet on selected gene (HNF4a; APOA1; GIMAP5) expression in the liver was observed. Overall, these results highlight the possibility of completely replacing SO with TM and ZM oils in broiler diets without adverse influences on growth performance and nutrient digestibility. Moreover, the results of the present study suggest that TM oil positively affects meat quality, which is a key factor for the modern consumer. It should be emphasized that both insect oils used in the study may be considered biologically active compounds that modify molecular patterns at the mRNA level.