Safety of Mealworm Meal in Layer Diets and their Influence on Gut Morphology

Result code in IS VaVaI

<a href="https://www.isvavai.cz/riv?ss=detail&h=RIV%2F62157124%3A16170%2F21%3A43879103" target="_blank" >RIV/62157124:16170/21:43879103 - isvavai.cz</a>

Alternative codes found

RIV/62156489:43210/21:43919766

Result on the web

<a href="http://10.3390/ani11051439" target="_blank" >http://10.3390/ani11051439</a>

DOI - Digital Object Identifier

<a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/ani11051439" target="_blank" >10.3390/ani11051439</a>

Result language

angličtina

Original language name

Safety of Mealworm Meal in Layer Diets and their Influence on Gut Morphology

Original language description

There is limited research on the use of the mealworm meal in laying hens&apos; diets and effects on relative organ weights, caecum microbiota, ileum morphology and digesta viscosity. All these parameters can affect the performance of animals, i.e., the laying and quality of eggs. The mealworm meal is a relatively new feedstuff, where it is necessary to exclude a possible harmful effect. Insect products have a beneficial nutrient content, but there are issues of stability, shelf life, storage and contamination, which could, in the case of negative properties, affect the morphology of the digestive tract, cause liver damage and, as a result, affect the animal performance parameters. The main objective of this study was to verify the safety of the mealworm meal in the feed of laying hens from 17-42 weeks of age. Therefore, the feed mixtures were tested in terms of microbiological stability, fungal and mycotoxin content and selected parameters of hens&apos; intestinal morphology and physiology were monitored. Feed mixtures with proportions of insect products were microbially stable even after four months. Based on the results of this study, use of two to five percent of mealworm meal in hen &apos; s diet may be used as a sustainable and safe protein feed. The main objective of this study was to verify the safety of mealworm meal in the feed of laying hens from 17 to 42 weeks of age. Therefore, the feed mixtures were tested in terms of microbiological stability, fungal and mycotoxin content and selected parameters of hens&apos; intestinal morphology and physiology were monitored. The experiment was carried out with 30 Lohmann Brown Classic hens. Hens were divided by body mass into three equal groups with 10 replicates per treatment. The two experimental groups received feed mixtures containing 2% and 5% yellow mealworm (Tenebrio molitor L.) meal. The third group was a control group which had 0% of mealworm meal in the diet. Diets with 2% and 5% of mealworm meals did not affect the length of villi and microbiome of the caecum. The highest digesta viscosity from the ileum was found in the group with 5% mealworm, which may indicate a slower passage of the digesta through the digestive tract. Based on our results, it may be concluded that the proportion of mealworm meals does not deteriorate the quality of feeds. Mealworm meal does not negatively affect microbial stability in experimental feeds. Therefore, it can be recommended the two and (or) five percent of mealworm meal inclusion in hen&apos;s diet.

Czech name

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Czech description

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Type

J_imp - Article in a specialist periodical, which is included in the Web of Science database

CEP classification

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OECD FORD branch

40301 - Veterinary science

Project

—

Continuities

V - Vyzkumna aktivita podporovana z jinych verejnych zdroju

Publication year

2021

Confidentiality

S - Úplné a pravdivé údaje o projektu nepodléhají ochraně podle zvláštních právních předpisů

Name of the periodical

Animals

ISSN

2076-2615

e-ISSN

—

Volume of the periodical

11

Issue of the periodical within the volume

5

Country of publishing house

CH - SWITZERLAND

Number of pages

13

Pages from-to

1-13

UT code for WoS article

000653339900001

EID of the result in the Scopus database

2-s2.0-85105860509