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Review
. 2024 Nov 21;13(4):51.
doi: 10.3390/biotech13040051.

The Biotechnological Potential of Crickets as a Sustainable Protein Source for Fishmeal Replacement in Aquafeed

Aldo Fraijo-Valenzuela  1 , Joe Luis Arias-Moscoso  2 , Oscar Daniel García-Pérez  3 , Libia Zulema Rodriguez-Anaya  4 , Jose Reyes Gonzalez-Galaviz  4
Affiliations
Review

The Biotechnological Potential of Crickets as a Sustainable Protein Source for Fishmeal Replacement in Aquafeed

Aldo Fraijo-Valenzuela et al. BioTech (Basel). .

Abstract

As aquaculture production grows, so does the demand for quality and cost-effective protein sources. The cost of fishmeal (FM) has increased over the years, leading to increased production costs for formulated aquafeed. Soybean meal (SBM) is commonly used as an FM replacer in aquafeed, but anti-nutritional factors could affect the growth, nutrition, and health of aquatic organisms. Cricket meal (CM) is an alternative source with a nutrient profile comparable to FM due to its high protein content, digestibility, and amino acid profile. CM use in aquafeed influences growth and reproductive performance while modulating the gut microbiota and immune response of fish and shrimp. However, consistent regulation and scaling up are necessary for competitive prices and the marketing of CM. Moreover, the chitin content in CM could be an issue in some fish species; however, different strategies based on food biotechnology can improve the protein quality for its safe use in aquafeed.

Keywords: aquaculture; biotechnology; cricket meal; fishmeal; growth; protein.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Nutritional composition of cricket meal. Created with BioRender.com (accessed on 9 October 2024).
Figure 2
Figure 2
Illustration of cricket meal’s effects on aquaculture. Created with BioRender.com (accessed on 9 October 2024).
Figure 3
Figure 3
Illustration of different processing methods to improve protein quality of cricket meal. Created with BioRender.com (accessed on 9 October 2024).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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