Evaluation of the metabolic effects of replacement of conventional protein sources by insect meal in growing broilers

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Protein-rich insect meal has recently become attractive as an alternative protein source. While several studies already demonstrated that insect meal can partially replace soybean meal as protein source in feeding rations for broilers without impairing animal´s performance, the potential approval of insect meal as feed for broilers in the future requires that any safety concerns can be excluded. However, suitable studies in broilers which comprehensively describe the impact of insect meal on intermediary metabolism – a prerequisite to identify potential adverse metabolic effects associated with the use of insect meal – are lacking. Against this background the project aims to comprehensively evaluate the effects of insect meal from Tenebrio molitor (TM) on the intermediary metabolism of growing broilers using high-throughput screening (omics) technologies. The main hypothesis of this project is that replacement of soybean meal by insect meal from TM in the feeding ration for growing broilers induces specific metabolic effects, which are of scientific interest but are not detrimental to broilers´ metabolism. To test this hypothesis, a 5-week feeding trial with day-old male Cobb 500 broilers receiving nutrient-adequate isonitrogenous and isoenergetic feeding rations, in which soybean meal is replaced either almost completely or partially with insect meal from TM larvae, will be carried out. In order to identify TM meal-induced changes in the metabolism of broilers, blood plasma and two highly metabolically active tissues in broilers (liver and breast muscle) will be analyzed by transcriptomics, lipidomics and/or metabolomics. In addition, due to the strong impact of the gut microbiota on animals´ metabolism, the cecal digesta of the broilers will be used for analysis of microbiota composition using high-throughput 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing. To validate and detailly describe the metabolic effects of TM meal identified by the screening technologies, different analytical techniques such as qPCR, immunoblotting, (immuno)histology, enzyme activity assays, chromatographic techniques and/or ELISA will be used depending on the identified effects. The exclusion of any safety issues (e.g. adverse effects) associated with the use of insect meal in broiler production is of particular importance with regard to ensuring food safety and thus of great relevance for assuring animals´ and consumers´ health. Apart from ensuring the safety of insect meal in broiler production, the high relevance of this project arises from the increasing need to provide sustainably produced protein sources for the global increase in animal production.