Insect lipid in fish nutrition: Recent knowledge and future application in aquaculture

Insect lipid/oil is a by-product of insect meal production. The quantity and nutritional quality of insect lipid varies with species, life stages, the kind of substrate used to raise the insects, as well as the extraction process. Insect lipid products have been successfully used in animal feeds as source of nutrients, notably energy and indispensable fatty acids. Further some insect lipid products are potential functional ingredients in feed formulations because of the existence of some functional compounds, for example, lauric acid and monolaurin in black solder fly larvae oil (BSFLO). To date, research on the effects of insect product inclusion in aquafeed mainly focused on insect meal as protein source rather than insect oil/lipid as a lipid source. Research to date indicates that insect lipids can replace traditional energy sources in fish nutrition without negatively affecting fish growth and feed utilization performance. By raising the amount of long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids in fish fillets, insect lipids can improve fillet quality. Insect lipids may also positively influence general health of fish by stimulating the immune system and manipulating the gut microbiota. As there is a crucial need for searching alternate lipid sources in aquafeed to extend limited global supplies of fish oil and due to the insect lipids content and its fatty acid quality, there is a pressing need to expand experimentation concerning their application in aquafeed to support sustainable growth of the aquaculture industry.