Comparison of the Effects of Various Low Carbon Footprint Diets on the Growth Parameters of Yellow Mealworm (Tenebrio molitor Linnaeus) (Col. Tenebrionidae) as a Climate-Friendly Protein Source

Document Type : Paper, Persian

Authors

Department of Plant Protection, Faculty of Agriculture, Shahid Bahonar University of Kerman, Kerman, Iran

10.61186/jesi.45.2.11

Abstract

This study investigated the use of food waste as a dietary source for the larvae of the yellow mealworm beetle (Tenebrio molitor L.). The main objective was to optimize the use of food waste to reduce food waste and carbon footprint. The experimental results showed that the larvae in the treatment of a mixture of lemon peel and wheat bran (LS) had the highest survival rate (SR) with an average (93.33% ± 1.49%). In contrast, the treatment with pistachio hull (P) had the lowest survival rate, with an average (1.67% ± 0.75%). In terms of weight gain (WG), the highest value was recorded for the control treatment with wheat bran (S), with an average (1.43 ± 0.10) grams, followed by the treatment of a mixture of student restaurant waste and wheat bran (GS), with an average (1.22 ± 0.11) grams. Additionally, the highest specific growth rate (SGR) was observed in the control treatment (S), with an average (8.25% ± 0.63%), followed by GS with an average (8.19% ± 0.14%). These two treatments did not show a significant difference from each other but showed significant differences compared to other treatments, except for the LS treatment. The highest feed conversion ratio (FCR) was recorded for the pistachio hull and wheat bran mixture (PS) with an average (50.58 ± 7.81) grams, while the lowest value was found in the GS treatment with an average (3.64 ± 0.34) grams. Furthermore, the protein efficiency ratio (PER) and lipid efficiency ratio (LER) were favorable in the control (S), LS, and GS treatments. The results indicated that wheat bran, wheat bran mixed with lemon peel, and wheat bran mixed with student restaurant waste are suitable options for yellow mealworm beetle farming due to their optimal performance across all indicators.

Graphical Abstract

Comparison of the Effects of Various Low Carbon Footprint Diets on the Growth Parameters of Yellow Mealworm (Tenebrio molitor Linnaeus) (Col. Tenebrionidae) as a Climate-Friendly Protein Source

Keywords

Main Subjects

© 2025 by Author(s), Published by the Entomological Society of Iran

This Work is Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial 4.0 International Public License

References

Ahmadi Mousavi, E. S. (2016) Use of pistachio hull as a supplement to activated sewage sludge for vermicomposting. MSc Thesis, University of Kerman [In Persian with English summary]
Arbab, A. (2018) Industrial insects: The Yellow Mealworm (Tenebrio molitor) introduction, Breeding & Processing. Vol. 1, 215pp. Azad University Publication. [In Persian]
 
Alizadeh-Ghamsari, A. H. & Hosseini, S. A. (2020) A review of insect utilization in poultry nutrition, opportunities and challenges. Animal Science Journal 34(131), 167-186. https://doi.org/10.22092/ASJ.2020.351213.2084 [In Persian with English summary]
Bordiean, A., Krzyzaniak, M. & Stolarski, M. J. (2022a) Bioconversion potential of agro-industrial byproducts by Tenebrio molitor—long-term results. Insects 13(9), p. 810. https://doi.org/10.3390/insects13090810.
Bordiean, A., Krzyzaniak, M., Aljewicz, M. & Stolarski, M. J. (2022b) Influence of different diets on growth and nutritional composition of yellow mealworm. Foods, 11(19), p. 3075. https://doi.org/10.3390/foods11193075.
Ghaly, A. E. & Alkoaik, F. (2009) The yellow mealworm as a novel source of protein. American Journal of Agricultural and Biological Sciences, 4(4), 319-331. https://doi.org/10.3844/ajabssp.2009.319.331.
Hamza, N., Mhetli, M., Ben Khemis, I., Cahu, C. & Kestemont, P. (2008) Effect of dietary phospholipid levels on performance, enzyme activities and fatty acid composition of pikeperch (Sander lucioperca) larvae. Aquaculture 275(1-4), 274-282. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aquaculture.2008.01.014.
Kotsou, K., Chatzimitakos, T., Athanasiadis, V., Bozinou, E., Adamaki-Sotiraki, C., Rumbos, C. I., Athanassiou, C. G. & Lalas, S. I. (2023) Waste orange peels as a feed additive for the enhancement of the nutritional value of Tenebrio molitor. Foods 12(4), p. 783. https://doi.org/10.3390/foods12040783.
Kotsou, K., Chatzimitakos, T., Athanasiadis, V., Bozinou, E. & Lalas, S. I. (2024) Exploiting agri-food waste as feed for Tenebrio molitor larvae rearing: A review. Foods 13(17), p. 1027.https://doi.org/10.3390/foods13071027.
Kröncke, N. & Benning, R. (2023) Influence of dietary protein content on the nutritional composition of mealworm larvae (Tenebrio molitor L.). Insects 14, p. 261. https://doi.org/10.3390/insects14030261.
Liu, Ch., Masri, J., Perez, V., Maya, C. & Zhao, J. (2020) Growth performance and nutrient composition of mealworms (Tenebrio Molitor) fed on fresh plant materials-supplemented diets. Foods 9(2), p. 151. https://doi.org/10.3390/foods9020151.
Mancini, S., Fratini, F., Turchi, B., Mattioli, S., Bosco, A. D., Tuccinardi, T., Nozic, S. & Paci, G. (2019) Former foodstuff products in Tenebrio molitor rearing: Effects on growth, chemical composition, microbiological load, and antioxidant status. Animals 9, p. 484. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani9080484.
Magalhães, D., Vilas-Boas, A. A., Teixeira, P. & Pintado, M. (2023) Functional ingredients and additives from lemon by-products and their applications in food preservation: A review. Foods 12(5), p.1095. https://doi.org/10.3390/foods12051095.
Musembi, J. P., Owino, E. A., Oyieka, F. A., Tanga, C. H. M., Beesigamukama, D., Subramanian, S., Cheseto, X. & Egonyu, J. P. (2024) Efficient agri-food waste valorization using mealworm (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae) into nutrient-rich biomass for food and feed. Economic Entomology 117(4), 1242–1253. https://doi.org/10.1093/jee/toae035.
Nematzadeh, S. (2021) Feasibility study of designing a food-making machine for livestock, poultry, or pets using scientific and academic center’s food waste. MSc Thesis, University of Mohaghegh Ardabili [In Persian with English summary].
Ojaghi, H. (2021) Effect of different diets on biological characteristics of Tenebrio molitor (Col.: Tenebrionidae). MSc Thesis, University of Zanjan [In Persian with English summary].
Ostadi, Y. & Matofi, E. (2020) Determine and compare the chemicals composition (protein, fat, ash, moisture, carbohydrate and fiber) Tenebrio molitor and Zophobas morio larvae for livestock and poultry rations. Halal Research 3(2), 71-80. https://doi.org/10.30502/h.2021.245889.1048 [In Persian with English summary].
Oonincx, D. G. A. B. & de Boer, I. J. M. (2012) Environmental impact of the production of mealworms as a protein source for humans–a life cycle assessment. PLoS One 7(12). https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0051145.
Pickova, J. & Dimberg, L. (2017) The yellow mealworm Tenebrio molitor, a potential source of food lipids. Department of Molecular Sciences, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences.
Sadeghi, F. (2019) Effect of dietary lemon (Citrus limon) peel and probiotic Bacillus licheniformis on the growth parameters, non-Specific immune and antioxidant enzyme activity in Common carp (Cyprinus carpio). MSc Thesis, University of Zabol [In Persian with English summary].
Tan, S. W., Lai, K. S. & Loh, J. Y. (2018) Effects of food wastes on yellow mealworm Tenebrio molitor larval nutritional profiles and growth performances. Examines in Marine Biology and Oceanography 2 (1), 173-178. https://doi.org/10.31031/EIMBO.2018.02.000530.
Valipour, M., Oujifard, A., Hosseini, A., Sotoudeh, E. & Bagheri, D. (2019) Effects of dietary replacement of fishmeal by yellow mealworm (Tenebrio molitor) larvae meal on growth performance, hematological indices and some of non-specific immune responses of juvenile rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss). Iranian Scientific Fisheries Journal 28(2), 13-26 https://doi.org/10.22092/ISFJ.2019.118906 [In Persian with English summary].
Zamani, F., Jalalizand, A. & Soleyman Nejadian, E. (2020) The effect of diet on the life table parameters of the Mealworm, Tenebrio molitor. Entomological Research 12(1), 29-40 https://sanad.iau.ir/Journal/jer/Article/915431/FullText [In Persian with English summary].
Send comment about this article
CAPTCHA Image
Journal of Entomological Society of Iran
Volume 45, Issue 2
April 2025
Pages 327-339

Files

Share

How to cite

Statistics