Engineering Nutritional Profiles in Edible Insects Through Diet–Microbiome Interactions: Mechanisms, Applications and Future Directions

Legume fermentation: Nutritional benefits and emerging applications.

Optimizing food safety and nutritional quality in edible insects: diet–fasting interactions shape microbiological safety and elemental composition of Tenebrio molitor larvae

The growth of edible insects as a sustainable protein source requires robust strategies to ensure their safety and nutritional quality. However, the combined eOects of diet composition and fasting on the microbiological safety, elemental composition, and nutritional quality of Tenebrio molitor larvae remain insuOiciently characterized. This study systematically evaluated the eOects of vegetable-based diets and fasting periods on fresh T. molitor larvae by assessing microbial enumeration with potential pathogen identification using MALDI-TOF MS and elemental profiling by ICP-OES. Diet significantly influenced the microbiological profile of 4-week-old larvae, representing an active growth stage, whereas eOects related to diOerent batches were more pronounced at 6 weeks, when fasting was applied, indicating stage-dependent variability. In contrast, elemental composition was consistently aOected by diet and fasting duration, with no significant batch influence. Larvae reared on mixed vegetable or carrot-based diets with 24 h fasting exhibited the best balance between reduced microbial load and stable elemental composition. These findings demonstrate that both diet composition and fasting duration influence the microbiological safety and nutritionally relevant elemental composition of T. molitor larvae under controlled rearing conditions. This study improves the understanding of how rearing and handling practices aOect edible insect quality and provides evidence to support the optimization of sustainable insect production systems.

Sustainable Protein Transitions: A Comprehensive Review of Insect Meal in Broiler Diets—Nutritional Value, Immunomodulatory Effects, Gut Health Interactions, and Future Perspectives

Simple Summary Broiler diets primarily rely on soybean meal and fishmeal, both of which carry significant environmental costs. Insect meal, principally from black soldier fly larvae (Hermetia illucens), is one of the few alternatives that can reasonably close that gap. Beyond supplying a strong amino acid profile, insect-derived ingredients bring lauric acid and chitin to the table, compounds that plant and marine proteins simply do not have, and both appear to support gut health and immune function in ways that go beyond ordinary protein replacement. Feeding trials replacing 5–15% of dietary soybean or fishmeal with insect meal consistently maintain body weight gain and feed conversion ratio within approximately 5% of conventional diet controls; at 10% BSF larval meal inclusion, several trials report numerically superior performance relative to SBM-based diets. At the environmental level, insect production systems can reduce greenhouse gas emissions by more than 80% relative to fishmeal under circular economy conditions. What remains unresolved is consensus on processing standards, dosing, and the applicability of laboratory findings to commercial settings. Insect meal currently remains more expensive than soybean meal, but cost trajectories point toward narrowing competitiveness at industrial scale. In summary, the evidence supports insect meal as a scientifically credible and ecologically coherent component of a more sustainable broiler sector.

Broiler Responses to a Phytogenic Nutritional Additive Under Different Dietary Nutrient Matrix Credit Strategies

Simple Summary Plant-based feed additives are increasingly used in commercial poultry farming as natural options to support bird health and productivity. However, farmers and feed producers need practical advice on how to best include these products in everyday feed recipes. This study tested a phytogenic nutritional additive (PNA) containing star anise essential oil, thyme essential oil, and Quillaja saponaria Molina stem and leaf powder in chicken diets under different feed formulation strategies. The goal was to investigate if these strategies could support chicken growth while also affecting meat quality, gut health, and nutrient loss. The results showed that growth performance was not affected by the PNA-containing formulation strategies. These strategies also influenced nutrient utilization and intestinal health, and the effects depended on the specific nutrient matrix strategy applied. Interestingly, early signs pointed to a temporary adjustment in the gut lining, which was followed by signs of stronger connections between gut cells by day 22. These findings offer useful information for feed manufacturers on how to use plant-based additives more effectively, helping to balance bird performance, meat yields, and digestive health in modern poultry nutrition.

Edible Fungi in Functional Aquafeeds: Prebiotic and Immunostimulatory Effects in Commercially Important Farmed Fish

Simple Summary Fish farming must increase production while reducing reliance on fishmeal, fish oil and antibiotics. Edible fungi, such as oyster, shiitake and reishi mushrooms, contain bioactive compounds that may support intestinal function, feed utilization, and innate immune responses in fish. This review examines how edible fungi and fungal-derived compounds, especially β-glucans and chitin, may contribute to gut microbiota modulation and immune stimulation in diets for commercially important fish. The available evidence indicates that their biological effects depend strongly on the fish species, ingredient form, dietary inclusion level, processing method and experimental conditions. Omnivorous fish such as tilapia generally tolerate broader inclusion levels, whereas carnivorous salmonids appear to respond more consistently to low dietary levels of extracts or processed fractions. Therefore, edible fungi should be regarded as complementary functional ingredients rather than simple protein replacements, requiring species-specific formulation strategies, standardized ingredient characterization, and validation under commercial farming conditions.

Precision Nutrigenomics in Cultured Finfish: Dietary Regulation of Gene Expression, Microbial Ecology, Metabolism, and Immunity

The expanded microorganism-centered synthesis shows that dietary effects depend on microbial niche, substrate availability, community succession, metabolite production, and strain-specific probiotic or pathobiont activity.