The primary challenge facing the global animal industry is the scarcity of protein feed resources. Various insects are gaining prominence as innovative feed sources due to their economic, environmentally friendly, and nutritious attributes. The purpose of the present study was to determine the effects of a partial replacement of soybean meal with fall armyworm Spodoptera frugiperda (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) and black soldier fly Hermetia illucens (Diptera: Stratiomyidae) on the growth performances, blood parameters, gut histology, and meat quality of broilers. A total of 350 1-day-old (40 ± 0.15 g) male chicks (Ross 308) were randomly assigned to seven experimental meals. Each treatment was repeated five times with 50 birds per dietary treatment. The seven dietary treatments included 4, 8, and 12% replacements of SBM with larvae of S. frugiperda and H. illucens. SBM was the basal diet considered the control. The data showed that broilers fed 12% S. frugiperda or H. illucens exhibited a significantly higher (p < 0.05) live weight, average daily weight gain, and improved the feed conversion ratio. Meals with 12% S. frugiperda or H. illucens significantly enhanced (p < 0.05) haematological and gut histological parameters, including villus height, crypt depth, villus width, and villus height/crypt depth ratios. The meat of broilers fed the 12% S. frugiperda diet showed significantly higher (p < 0.05) lightness and yellowness. Replacing soybean meal up to 12% with either S. frugiperda or H. illucens larvae improves the growth performance, blood haematology, gut morphometry, and meat quality traits of broilers.
The poultry industry plays a major role in the emergence and spread of foodborne zoonotic diseases, particularly those associated with antibiotic-resistant bacteria. These diseases pose substantial global public health challenges, and the increasing development of antimicrobial resistance further intensifies these concerns. In response, scientific efforts have expanded to develop and implement innovative technologies capable of mitigating the rising prevalence of multidrug-resistant (MDR) microorganisms. Therapeutic bacteriophage supplementation has regained significant attention because it can selectively lyse specific bacteria, is cost-effective to produce, offers environmentally favorable characteristics, and provides several advantages over conventional antibiotics. Experimental studies have demonstrated that phage therapy is both safe and effective for controlling poultry-associated enteric pathogens. Phages can be applied at various stages of the poultry production chain, from rearing to processing and distribution, using multiple delivery strategies. Despite certain limitations, the targeted and well-regulated application of phage cocktails offers considerable potential as an alternative to antibiotics for managing MDR infections. The success of bacteriophage therapy depends on several factors, including the timing of administration, dosage, delivery method, and its integration with other therapeutic approaches. Therefore, developing a comprehensive understanding of bacteriophage utilization in poultry production is both timely and necessary. This review examines the applications, constraints, and future opportunities of phage therapy within the commercial poultry industry, with particular emphasis on the mechanisms through which bacteriophages control bacterial infections.
The poultry industry is widely acknowledged as a rapidly growing sector in the global food market (Nhung et al. 2017). Over the past few years, there has been a significant expansion in the poultry...
10 January 2025 in Probiotics and Antimicrobial Proteins