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Review
. 2024 Nov;31(53):62264-62282.
doi: 10.1007/s11356-023-29068-6. Epub 2023 Aug 9.

The current state of research and potential applications of insects for resource recovery and aquaculture feed

Soibam Khogen Singh  1 , Lokesh Pawar  2 , Akhil Joe Thomas  2 , Reshmi Debbarma  2 , Pradyut Biswas  2 , Arati Ningombam  3 , Ayam Gangarani Devi  4 , Gusheinzed Waikhom  2 , Arun Bhai Patel  2 , Dharmendra Kumar Meena  5 , Gunimala Chakraborty  6
Affiliations
Review

The current state of research and potential applications of insects for resource recovery and aquaculture feed

Soibam Khogen Singh et al. Environ Sci Pollut Res Int. 2024 Nov.

Abstract

Concerns about fishmeal use and its ecological footprints must be addressed for the aquaculture industry to move on as a sustainable food production sector. Through recent research outcomes, the insect-based meals in fish diets have promise and harnessed promises for commercial applications. In this midst, the efficiency of the selected insects in valorizing biological waste, as well as the nutritional profile of the harvested insects for use in fish diets, will be the driving forces behind such an approach. More extensive research has been published on the suitability of the waste substrate, the nutritional profiling of the meals, the level of substitution, the effects on growth, the immune physiology, and the flesh quality of the animals. Previously, there are only a few reviews available in insect protein applications in aqua feed that focused particularly on the nutritional quality and substitution levels. Considering the dearth of available work, the goal of this review is to provide a more comprehensive account of the resource recovery potential of insects and its derivatives, with a special emphasis on quality as determined by substrate used and processing techniques. Suggestions and policy implications for a sustainable approach to achieving a circular bio-economy of insect farming and its application in aquaculture are discussed for progression and advancement of the existing state of the art.

Keywords: Aquaculture; Bio-economy; Fish meal; Insect-based meal; Sustainable.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declarations. Consent to participate: The corresponding author on behalf of the other co-authors declares that they have actively contributed to the project work and signed the “Participant consent form”. Consent for publication: I on behalf of all the authors give my consent to the publisher to publish the content (including text, figure, and data) of the submitted work. Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests.

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