Effect of Different Processing Methods on Nutritional Quality of Black Soldier Fly (Hermetia illucens) Larvae Produced at a University Fish Farm in Lagos, Nigeria

Abstract

The increasing demand for sustainable and cost-effective protein sources has intensified interest in insect-based feed ingredients, particularly Black Soldier Fly (Hermetia illucens) larvae (BSFL). Therefore, the objective of this paper was to evaluate the effects of different processing methods on the nutritional quality of Black Soldier Fly (Hermetia illucens) larvae produced from eggs cultured in an insectarium at a university fish farm in Lagos, Nigeria using appropriate standard analytical procedures, including Kjeldahl method and gas chromatography. The results showed no significant difference (P > 0.05) in carbohydrate content among fresh, sun-dried, and oven-dried samples, whereas cooked samples differed significantly (P < 0.05). Crude protein and ash contents varied significantly (P < 0.05) across treatments, with sun-dried BSFL exhibiting the highest values (40.51 ± 0.04% and 4.74 ± 0.03%) respectively. Amino acid analysis revealed that oven-dried BSFL contained relatively higher levels of essential amino acids, including lysine, arginine, and threonine, while leucine was highest in sun-dried samples. The fatty acid profile indicated the presence of a wide spectrum of saturated and unsaturated fatty acids across all processing methods. In conclusion, processing methods significantly influence the nutritional composition of BSFL. Sun-drying enhanced crude protein content, whereas oven-drying improved amino acid and fatty acid diversity. These findings suggest that both sun-drying and oven-drying are effective processing methods for optimizing the nutritional value of BSFL and are recommended for their utilization in aquaculture and livestock feed production.