Dietary inclusion of frass from black soldier fly (Hermetia illucens) larvae modulates gut microbiota without compromising the growth performance and health status of catfish (Ictalurus punctatus) juveniles.

Ana Beatriz de S Farias, Thiago M Santana, Vitor F Silva, Caitlin E Older, Crystal L Conde, Nicholas Romano, Delbert M Gatlin, Ligia U Gonçalves, Fernando Y Yamamoto

Abstract read

PubMed Publisher

In one paragraph

Article in Fish physiology and biochemistry, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it

0cells of the map it votes in

1citing papers in PubMed

–field-weighted citation impact

1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

Effects of Dietary Supplementation with Black Soldier Fly Larvae (Animals : an open access journal from MDPI · 2026
Article

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors.

Ana Beatriz de S FariasThad Cochran National Warmwater Aquaculture Center, Mississippi Agriculture and Forestry Experiment Station, Mississippi State University, Stoneville, MS, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0009-0002-8460-2430

Thiago M SantanaThad Cochran National Warmwater Aquaculture Center, Mississippi Agriculture and Forestry Experiment Station, Mississippi State University, Stoneville, MS, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-9442-9486

Vitor F SilvaThad Cochran National Warmwater Aquaculture Center, Mississippi Agriculture and Forestry Experiment Station, Mississippi State University, Stoneville, MS, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-7007-5815

Caitlin E OlderWarmwater Aquaculture Research Unit, Agricultural Research Service, United States, Department of Agriculture, Stoneville, MS, USA.

Crystal L CondeThad Cochran National Warmwater Aquaculture Center, Mississippi Agriculture and Forestry Experiment Station, Mississippi State University, Stoneville, MS, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-1028-0734

Nicholas RomanoAgricultural Research Service, United States, Department of Agriculture , Fort Pierce, FL, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-2765-4912

Delbert M GatlinDepartment of Ecology and Conservation Biology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-2534-6422

Ligia U GonçalvesDepartment of Animal Science, School of Animal Science and Food Engineering, University of São Paulo, Pirassununga, SP, Brazil. ligia.uribe@usp.br.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-5014-6986

Fernando Y YamamotoThad Cochran National Warmwater Aquaculture Center, Mississippi Agriculture and Forestry Experiment Station, Mississippi State University, Stoneville, MS, USA. fyy5@msstate.edu.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-5561-9586

Funding

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico 401838/2022-6Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station, Mississippi State University 523010

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

The present study evaluated the potential of BSFL frass (BF), a by-product composed of larval excretions, undigested substrate, and exoskeletons, as a dietary ingredient for juvenile channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus). The experiment included a control diet and three test diets with BSFL frass 1.25% (BF1.25%), 2.5% (BF2.5%), and 5.0% (BF5.0%). All diets were isonitrogenous (37% crude protein), isolipidic (6% crude lipid), and isoenergetic (15 MJ gross energy/kg). Six hundred channel catfish juveniles (~ 1.85 g) were equally distributed to 20 aquaria (30 fish/tank) in a recirculating aquaculture system and fed the experimental diets for 60 days. Dietary inclusion of BSFL frass did not significantly affect growth performance, viscerosomatic index, intraperitoneal fat, and hematological parameters. However, fish-fed BF5.0%diets showed a higher hepatosomatic index, suggesting effects on liver metabolism. No significant differences were observed in intestinal histomorphology. Fish-fed BF1.25% exhibited a higher relative abundance of Lactococcus spp. (~ 47%), along with increases in Streptococcaceae, Lactobacillales, and Weissella, accompanied by reduced Cetobacterium spp. and Plesiomonas spp. BSFL frass did not improve performance but significantly altered the catfish gut microbiota. This finding warrants further research to better understand the components of the BSFL frass that can serve as a substrate for commensal bacteria and which bacterial species are benefiting from this supplementation. Additionally, evaluating the feasibility of BSFL frass as an unconventional ingredient in aquafeeds could provide insights into its potential functional benefits and practical application in sustainable fish nutrition.

Indexed as

Animal FeedDietDipteraGastrointestinal MicrobiomeIctaluridaeAnimal Nutritional Physiological PhenomenaAnimalsAquacultureLarvaBSFL frassChannel catfishIntestine microbiotaSustainable ingredient

Identifiers

PMID40762807

DOI10.1007/s10695-025-01552-5

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata

Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.