Feed Parameters Influencing the Breeding of Mealworms ( Tenebrio molitor )

Jiří Mlček, Martin Adámek, Anna Adámková, Jiří Matyáš, Martina Bučková, Martina Mrázková, Robert Vícha, Radek Vychodil, Ivana Knížková and Zdeněk Volek
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Jiří Mlček: Department of Food Analysis and Chemistry, Faculty of Technology, Tomas Bata University in Zlin, Vavreckova 275, 760 01 Zlin, Czech Republic
Martin Adámek: Department of Physics and Materials Engineering, Faculty of Technology, Tomas Bata University in Zlin, Vavreckova 275, 760 01 Zlin, Czech Republic
Anna Adámková: Department of Food Analysis and Chemistry, Faculty of Technology, Tomas Bata University in Zlin, Vavreckova 275, 760 01 Zlin, Czech Republic
Jiří Matyáš: Centre of Polymer Systems, University Institute, Tomas Bata University in Zlin, Trida T. Bati 5678, 760 01 Zlin, Czech Republic
Martina Bučková: Department of Food Analysis and Chemistry, Faculty of Technology, Tomas Bata University in Zlin, Vavreckova 275, 760 01 Zlin, Czech Republic
Martina Mrázková: Department of Food Analysis and Chemistry, Faculty of Technology, Tomas Bata University in Zlin, Vavreckova 275, 760 01 Zlin, Czech Republic
Robert Vícha: Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Technology, Tomas Bata University in Zlin, Vavreckova 275, 760 01 Zlin, Czech Republic
Radek Vychodil: Department of Food Analysis and Chemistry, Faculty of Technology, Tomas Bata University in Zlin, Vavreckova 275, 760 01 Zlin, Czech Republic
Ivana Knížková: Department of Livestock Technology and Management, Institute of Animal Science, Pratelstvi 815/107, 104 00 Prague, Czech Republic
Zdeněk Volek: Department of Nutritional Physiology and Animal Product Quality, Institute of Animal Science, Pratelstvi 815/107, 104 00 Prague, Czech Republic

Sustainability, 2021, vol. 13, issue 23, 1-14

Abstract: With the growing public interest in edible insects, breeders are forced to increase the volume of production and shorten the life cycle of farmed insects. The exact composition of the feed is the know-how of each manufacturer. The aim of this work was to determine the general impact of individual conventional types of feed (bran, whey, raw ware potatoes) on the life cycle rate of Tenebrio molitor (TM), larval mortality and the content of fats, fatty acids and nitrogenous substances in larvae and their excrements. For the reasons of sustainability of the state of nature and waste disposal, polystyrene foam was added to the experiment as feed. The experiment was performed in two phases—rearing for 21 weeks and 5 weeks. The nitrogen content was determined using the Kjeldahl method (ISO 1871: 2009), the fat content by the Soxhlet method and the fatty acid profile using a gas chromatograph with a flame ionization detector (FID). The results of the work show that the basis of the TM feed is wheat bran, not only due to the observed low larval mortality (45% over 21 weeks) and their optimal nutritional value (nitrogenous substances 53.6% DM, fat 37.1% DM, the highest total fatty acid content) but also due to the higher speed of TM development. Lower larval mortality during rearing was found when feeding dried whey and raw ware potatoes, but the development cycle rate was low. This confirmed that the bran as a feed allowed a fast life cycle with good larval nutritional parameters. From a nutritional and reproductive point of view, TM appeared to be a suitable alternative to animal production. Polystyrene as a feed, tested for biodegradation by TM larvae, caused the highest larval mortality (75% in 21 weeks). However, the content of nitrogenous substances in the larvae increased to 69.77%, in the excrement, it even increased to 82.68%, and there was no cannibalism among the larvae. The work thus demonstrated the possibility of biodegradation of polystyrene using TM larvae with an increase in nitrogenous substances in both larvae and excrement.

Keywords: Tenebrio molitor; feed; polystyrene (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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