Improved long-chain omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids in sago palm weevil (Rhynchophorus ferrugineus) larvae by dietary fish oil supplementation.

The nutritional values of sago palm weevil larvae (SPWL) reared on mixed plant-based diets (ground sago palm trunk (GS), cornmeal, rice bran, soybean, and perilla seed), containing different levels of dietary fish oil (FO) were compared to those reared on commercial pig feed (PF) and GS. Increased FO content resulted in an increase in ω-3 fatty acids (FA) in SPWL (p < 0.05), especially α-linolenic acid and eicosapentaenoic acid. When fed FO-fortified diets instead of PF, the health-promoting indices of the SPWL lipid improved significantly (e.g., decreased ω-6/ω-3 ratio, thrombogenicity index, and hypercholesterolemic FA with increased PUFA content). The lipid, protein, and mineral contents of SPWL were increased while growth performance was maintained on a 1.5% FO-fortified diet. Higher FO levels (3-5%) had a negative impact on the nutritional values and growth performance of the SPWL. Thus, there was a reasonable chance of developing a high-nutrient alternative insect for human consumption.