Replacement of Commercial Feed with Fresh Black Soldier Fly (Hermetia illucens) Larvae in Pacific White Shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei)

Abstract

This study evaluated survival, growth performance, digestive enzyme activities, intestinal histology, and antioxidant enzyme activities of the Pacific white shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei), which were fed with five different diets, containing 0%, 25%, 50%, 75%, and 100% fresh black soldier fly larvae (BSFL), respectively, to replace commercial feed at an equal wet weight. The cultured experiment was lasted for 45 days, and the results showed that survival rate (SR), final body weight (FBW), and weight gain (WG) were negatively related with the replacement rate of fresh BSFL in the diet, where the maximum value was found in the BSFL 25% group, while the minimum value appeared in the BSFL 100% group. When BSFL replacement level was equal to or above 75%, the SR, FBW and WG were significantly decreased. However, hepatosomatic index (HSI) was increased with the increasing BSFL replacement level, which was significantly higher in BSFL 75% and BSFL 100% groups than the other groups. No significant differences on hepatopancreatic amylase and lipase activities of the shrimp were observed among all the groups. However, compared with the control group, protease activity in hepatopancreatic of the shrimp was significantly higher when up to 25% of commercial feed was replaced. The histological structure of the intestine gradually changed pathologically, such as tissue disruption, with increasing proportion of fresh BSFL in the diets. A significant reduction in intestinal fold height was found in the BSFL 100% group, and a decreased thickness of intestinal muscular was also observed in all treatment groups. The serum SOD and GSH-PX activities of shrimp in all treatment groups were significantly higher than that of the control group. In conclusion, replacing commercial feed up to 50% with fresh BSFL could be feasible for L. vannamei farming when growth performances, digestive enzyme activities, intestinal histology, and antioxidant enzymes were being considered.