RADIUS, Thomas More University of Applied Sciences, Kleinhoefstraat 4, 2440, Geel, Belgium.
Sci Rep. 2023 Jul 18;13(1):11604. doi: 10.1038/s41598-023-38747-w.
Insect farming, a potential approach to deal with the increasing global protein demand, is a new activity in the Western world with many unanswered questions regarding product quality and safety. Insects may fulfill an important role in a circular economy by upcycling biowaste into valuable biomass. About half of the total mass of mealworm feeding substrates exists out of wet feed. This can be sourced from biowaste, increasing the sustainability of insect farming. This paper reports on the nutritional profile of yellow mealworm, Tenebrio molitor, reared with supplementation of organic sidestreams. These included unsold vegetables, potato cuttings, fermented chicory roots and horticultural foliage. The evaluation was performed by analyzing proximate compositions, fatty acid profiles, mineral and heavy metal contents. Mealworms fed with potato cuttings doubled their fat content and increased saturated and mono-unsaturated fatty acids. Providing fermented chicory roots increased the mineral content and accumulated heavy metals. Additionally, the uptake of minerals by mealworms was selective as only calcium, iron and manganese concentrations increased. Adding vegetable mix or horticultural foliage to the diet did not significantly change the nutritional profile. In conclusion, sidestreams were successfully recycled into protein-rich biomass and their nutrient content and bio-availability influenced the composition of mealworms.
昆虫养殖是一种应对全球蛋白质需求不断增长的潜在方法，在西方世界是一项新兴活动，关于产品质量和安全的许多问题仍未得到解答。昆虫通过将生物废物转化为有价值的生物质，可以在循环经济中发挥重要作用。黄粉虫（Tenebrio molitor）饲养基质的总质量约有一半是湿饲料。这些饲料可以来自生物废物，从而提高昆虫养殖的可持续性。本文报告了经有机副产物（包括未售出的蔬菜、土豆切块、发酵菊苣根和园艺枝叶）补充喂养的黄粉虫的营养概况。通过分析其近似成分、脂肪酸谱、矿物质和重金属含量来进行评估。用土豆切块喂养的黄粉虫的脂肪含量增加了一倍，饱和脂肪酸和单不饱和脂肪酸的含量也增加了。提供发酵菊苣根增加了矿物质含量并积累了重金属。此外，黄粉虫对矿物质的吸收具有选择性，只有钙、铁和锰的浓度增加。向饮食中添加蔬菜混合物或园艺枝叶并没有显著改变其营养状况。总之，副产物成功地回收成富含蛋白质的生物质，其营养成分和生物利用度影响了黄粉虫的组成。
