Inclusione di Hermetia illucens e tenebrio molitor nell'alimentazione avicola: valutazione delle performance di crescita e qualità della carne

The utilization of Hermetia illucens (HI) and Tenebrio molitor (TM) meals as innovative ingredients in poultry farming has generated significant interest due to their potential for sustainability in meat production. This thesis aimed to assess the impact of insect meals on the growth of broiler chickens, carcass characteristics, and meat quality under intensive farming conditions. Experimental diets, iso-nitrogenous and iso-energetic, included the following meal percentages: 0%, 5%, and 10% HI, 5% and 10% TM, and 5% and 10% MIX (1:1). Diets were formulated to meet the requirements of three life stages: starter, grower, and finisher. A total of 420 one-day-old ROSS 308 broilers were divided into 7 different groups, one for each diet, with each group consisting of 6 replicates of 10 broilers each. The rearing phase lasted for 38 days, after which 2 broilers per pen, representing the average weights of all animals, were euthanized via electrical stunning and subsequently bled. Growth parameters evaluated during the rearing phase included live weight, daily weight gain, and feed conversion ratio. Promising results were observed with the inclusion of 5% TM and the MIX of both insect meals, particularly during the growth phase. Conversely, a 10% HI inclusion showed less favorable performance, including lower final weights, reduced daily weight gain, and a higher feed conversion ratio compared to lower inclusion levels. Carcass characteristics also exhibited significant differences (P < 0.05) among the groups. Parameters such as slaughter weight, cooking-ready weight, freezing weight, breast weight, thigh weight, and their percentages relative to live weight were assessed. TM5 and MIX5 demonstrated their production potential compared to the control group in terms of slaughter weight, while a 10% inclusion of HI and MIX could yield less favorable results. The chemical analysis revealed a slightly higher moisture content in the HI10 and TM5 groups, a difference that can have both positive and negative implications depending on production processes, as explained in the literature. Ash content was slightly lower in the TM groups, unlike some other studies where no differences were found in this parameter.Regarding protein content, differences were found in breast meat, where TM5 and HI10 had lower results (P<0.001), which could be related to the significantly higher water content (P<0.001). However, MIX10 and HI10 seem to produce thighs with lower protein levels than the other groups (P<0.001), which may be attributed to higher water and EE content, although the latter is not statistically significant (P>0.05). Ether extract showed no differences among any group. However, significant differences were observed in the fatty acid profile. While a 5% inclusion of the different meals did not differ from the control, a 10% inclusion resulted in higher levels of saturated fatty acids, particularly C12 and C14 in HI10. TM10 also showed lower levels of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) compared to the control. Despite PUFA content differences, the omega-3 to omega-6 ratio did not differ among the groups. Physical analyses revealed slightly more acidic and red meat (a*) in the 10% inclusion groups (P < 0.01). In conclusion, this thesis contributes to understanding the effects of including TM and HI meals in broiler diets. The results suggest that a 5% inclusion of these meals can replace soybean meal and support production performance.