Department of Animal Science, Iowa State University, Ames, IA.
Jiminy's LLC, Berkeley, CA.
J Anim Sci. 2020 Mar 1;98(3). doi: 10.1093/jas/skaa083.
Insects can serve as a novel high-quality protein source for pet foods. However, there is an absence of research investigating the use of insects in pet food. The study objective was to evaluate the apparent total tract digestibility and possible health effects of diets containing graded levels of cricket (Gryllodes sigillatus) meal fed to healthy adult dogs. Thirty-two adult Beagles were randomly assigned to one of four dietary treatments: 0%, 8%, 16%, or 24% cricket meal. Dogs were fed their respective diet for a total of 29 d with a 6-d collection phase. Fecal samples were collected daily during the collection phase to measure total fecal output as well as apparent total tract digestibility for dry matter (DM), organic matter, crude protein, fat, total dietary fiber, and gross energy. Blood samples were taken prior to the study and on day 29 for hematology and chemistry profiles. Data were analyzed in a mixed model including the fixed effects of diet and sex. Total fecal output increased on both an as-is (P = 0.030) and DM basis (P = 0.024). The apparent total tract digestibility of each nutrient decreased (P < 0.001) with the increasing level of cricket meal inclusion. All blood values remained within desired reference intervals indicating healthy dogs. Slight fluctuations in blood urea nitrogen (P = 0.037) and hemoglobin (P = 0.044) levels were observed but were not considered of biological significance. Even with the decrease in digestibility with the inclusion of cricket meal, diets remained highly digestible at greater than 80% total apparent digestibility. In conclusion, crickets were demonstrated to be an acceptable ingredient for dog diets.
昆虫可以作为宠物食品的一种新型高质量蛋白质来源。然而，目前还没有研究调查昆虫在宠物食品中的应用。本研究的目的是评估含有不同水平蟋蟀（Gryllodes sigillatus）粉的日粮对健康成年犬的全肠道表观消化率和可能的健康影响。32 只成年比格犬随机分为 4 种日粮处理组：0%、8%、16%或 24%蟋蟀粉。犬共喂食相应日粮 29 天，其中包含 6 天的收集期。在收集期内，每天收集粪便样本来测量总粪便排出量以及干物质（DM）、有机物、粗蛋白、脂肪、总膳食纤维和总能的全肠道表观消化率。在研究前和第 29 天采集血液样本，用于进行血液学和化学分析。数据采用包含日粮和性别固定效应的混合模型进行分析。干物质基础（P = 0.030）和原样基础（P = 0.024）的总粪便排出量均增加。随着蟋蟀粉添加水平的增加，每种养分的全肠道表观消化率均降低（P < 0.001）。所有血液值均保持在理想参考范围内，表明犬健康。血液尿素氮（P = 0.037）和血红蛋白（P = 0.044）水平略有波动，但被认为无生物学意义。即使在添加蟋蟀粉时消化率降低，日粮的总表观消化率仍大于 80%，保持高度可消化性。总之，蟋蟀被证明是犬日粮的一种可接受的成分。
