Larval performance of Zophobas morio (F.) (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae) on various diets enriched with post-distillation residues and essential oils of aromatic and medicinal plants

• Published in: Environmental science and pollution research international Vol. 31; no. 20; pp. 28847 - 28855
• Main Authors: Gourgouta, Marina, Andreadis, Stefanos S., Koutsogeorgiou, Eleni I., Rumbos, Christos I., Grigoriadou, Katerina, Giannenas, Ilias, Bonos, Eleftherios, Skoufos, Ioannis, Athanassiou, Christos G.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Berlin/Heidelberg Springer Berlin Heidelberg 01.04.2024; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Animal Feed - analysis; Animal protein; Animals; Aquatic Pollution; Atmospheric Protection/Air Quality Control/Air Pollution; Coleoptera; Crop residues; Developmental stages; Diet; Distillation; Earth and Environmental Science; Ecotoxicology; Enrichment; Environment; Environmental Chemistry; Environmental Health; Essential oils; Food sources; Herbal medicine; Insects; Larva; Larvae; Larval development; Medicinal plants; Mixtures; Oils & fats; Oils, Volatile; Plants, Medicinal - chemistry; Protein sources; Proteins; Research Article; Residues; Tenebrionidae; Waste Water Technology; Water Management; Water Pollution Control; Wheat bran; Zophobas morio; Waste management; Plant-based residues; Edible insects; Essential oils; Larval development; Feed conversion efficiency
• ISSN: 1614-7499; 0944-1344; 1614-7499
• DOI: 10.1007/s11356-024-32603-8

The increasing demands for resources driven by the global population necessitate exploring sustainable alternatives for affordable animal protein over the use of traditional protein sources. Insects, with their high protein content, offer a promising solution, especially when reared on agricultural post-distillation residues for enhanced sustainability and cost-effectiveness. We assessed the development of Zophobas morio (F.) (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae) larvae on diets enriched with essential oils and post-distillation residues from Greek aromatic and medicinal plants. Two aromatic plant mixtures (A and B) were examined. Mixture A consisted of post-distillation residues, while Mixture B incorporated these residues along with essential oils. Insect rearing diets were enriched with different proportions (10, 20, and 30 %) of these mixtures, with wheat bran serving as the control. Enrichment positively influenced larval development without compromising survival. Larval weight remained unchanged with Mixture A, but improved with Mixture B. No adverse effects were detected in the case of the enriched diets, although higher concentrations of Mixture B prolonged development time.