Physicochemical Properties and Fatty Acid Methyl Ester (FAME) Extract of Maggot Black Soldier Fly (Hermetia illucens) as Animal Feed

Risalatul Fathimah, Dika Putra Wijaya, Amirotul Muniroh, Sumari Sumari, Danar Danar, Nilna Inayatan Nafiah, Fatimah Az-Zahra, Aura Gitta Zhafirah, Grestya Dienda Monicha, Marendha Salma Sajidah, Juwita Oktaviani, Fina Kharisma Musallamah, Putri Rizky Febrianti

Abstract


This study aimed to evaluate the physicochemical properties and fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) profile of Hermetia illucens (BSF) maggot extract as a potential sustainable ingredient for animal feed. Lipid extraction was performed using a modified Bligh and Dyer method by substituting chloroform with n-hexane to ensure safer and environmentally friendly processing. Proximate analysis revealed that BSF maggots contained 29.36% crude protein, 43.76% crude fat, 9.27% ash, 19.94% crude fiber, and a low moisture content of 3.06%, indicating high nutritional density and storage stability. XRF and qualitative tests confirmed significant mineral content, particularly CaO, K?O, and P?O?, with no detectable heavy metals or harmful contaminants, supporting their safety for feed applications. Microscopic analysis showed particle sizes ranging from 2,000-10,000 nm, classifying the material as a nanostructured biomass. The FAME profile demonstrated a diverse composition dominated by 9-octadecenoic acid (10.92%), triacontane (8.87%), octadecanoic acid (7.65%), and heptacosanoic acid (7.17%). Key medium- and long-chain fatty acids such as dodecanoic acid (C12:0), elaidic acid (C18:1), and stearic acid (C18:0) were also detected, indicating the suitability of BSF lipids as an energy-dense feed component with oxidative stability. Overall, the biochemical and structural characteristics obtained in this study highlight BSF maggots as a promising, nutrient-rich, and environmentally sustainable ingredient for animal feed formulations.

Keywords


Black soldier fly; FAME; proximate analysis; lipid profile; animal feed

Full Text:

PDF

References


Alvarez, D., Wilkinson, K. A., Treilhou, M., Téné, N., Castillo, D., & Sauvain, M. (2019). Prospecting Peptides Isolated From Black Soldier Fly (Diptera: Stratiomyidae) With Antimicrobial Activity Against Helicobacter pylori (Campylobacterales: Helicobacteraceae). Journal of Insect Science, 19(6). https://doi.org/10.1093/jisesa/iez120

Amrul, N. F., Ahmad, I. K., Basri, N. E. A., Suja, F., Jalil, N. A. A., & Azman, N. A. (2022). A Review of Organic Waste Treatment Using Black Soldier Fly (Hermetia illucens). Sustainability, 14(8), 4565. https://doi.org/10.3390/su14084565

Barragan-Fonseca, K. B., Dicke, M., & van Loon, J. J. A. (2017). Nutritional value of the black soldier fly (Hermetia illucens L.) and its suitability as animal feed – a review. Journal of Insects as Food and Feed, 3(2), 105–120. https://doi.org/10.3920/JIFF2016.0055

Baur, F. J., & Ensminger, L. G. (1977). The Association of Official Analytical Chemists (AOAC). Journal of the American Oil Chemists’ Society, 54(4), 171–172. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02670789

Bessa, L. W., Pieterse, E., Marais, J., & Hoffman, L. C. (2020). Why for feed and not for human consumption? The black soldier fly larvae. Comprehensive Reviews in Food Science and Food Safety, 19(5), 2747–2763. https://doi.org/10.1111/1541-4337.12609

Bligh, E. G., & Dyer, W. J. (1959). A RAPID METHOD OF TOTAL LIPID EXTRACTION AND PURIFICATION. Canadian Journal of Biochemistry and Physiology, 37(8), 911–917. https://doi.org/10.1139/o59-099

Bondari, K., & Sheppard, D. C. (1981). Soldier fly larvae as feed in commercial fish production. Aquaculture, 24, 103–109. https://doi.org/10.1016/0044-8486(81)90047-8

Costello, C., Cao, L., Gelcich, S., Cisneros-Mata, M. Á., Free, C. M., Froehlich, H. E., Golden, C. D., Ishimura, G., Maier, J., Macadam-Somer, I., Mangin, T., Melnychuk, M. C., Miyahara, M., de Moor, C. L., Naylor, R., Nøstbakken, L., Ojea, E., O’Reilly, E., Parma, A. M., … Lubchenco, J. (2020). The future of food from the sea. Nature, 588(7836), 95–100. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-020-2616-y

Cummins, V. C., Rawles, S. D., Thompson, K. R., Velasquez, A., Kobayashi, Y., Hager, J., & Webster, C. D. (2017). Evaluation of black soldier fly (Hermetia illucens) larvae meal as partial or total replacement of marine fish meal in practical diets for Pacific white shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei). Aquaculture, 473, 337–344. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aquaculture.2017.02.022

El-Hack, M. A., Shafi, M., Alghamdi, W., Abdelnour, S., Shehata, A., Noreldin, A., Ashour, E., Swelum, A., Al-Sagan, A., Alkhateeb, M., Taha, A., Abdel-Moneim, A.-M., Tufarelli, V., & Ragni, M. (2020). Black Soldier Fly (Hermetia illucens) Meal as a Promising Feed Ingredient for Poultry: A Comprehensive Review. Agriculture, 10(8), 339. https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture10080339

Fasakin, E. A., Balogun, A. M., & Ajayi, O. O. (2003). Evaluation of full-fat and defatted maggot meals in the feeding of clariid catfish Clarias gariepinus fingerlings. Aquaculture Research, 34(9), 733–738. https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1365-2109.2003.00876.x

Finke, M. D. (2013). Complete Nutrient Content of Four Species of Feeder Insects. Zoo Biology, 32(1), 27–36. https://doi.org/10.1002/zoo.21012

Franco, A., Scieuzo, C., Salvia, R., Petrone, A. M., Tafi, E., Moretta, A., Schmitt, E., & Falabella, P. (2021). Lipids from Hermetia illucens, an Innovative and Sustainable Source. Sustainability, 13(18), 10198. https://doi.org/10.3390/su131810198

Huis, A. . Van, Itterbeeck, J. . Van, & Klunder, H. . (2014). Edible insects - Future prospects for food and feed security. FAO.

Ichwan, M., Siregar, A. Z., Nasution, T. I., & Yusni, E. (2021). The use of BSF (Black Soldier Fly) maggot in mini biopond as a solution for organic waste management on a household scale. IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science, 782(3), 32032. https://doi.org/10.1088/1755-1315/782/3/032032

Manniello, M. D., Moretta, A., Salvia, R., Scieuzo, C., Lucchetti, D., Vogel, H., Sgambato, A., & Falabella, P. (2021). Insect antimicrobial peptides: potential weapons to counteract the antibiotic resistance. Cellular and Molecular Life Sciences, 78(9), 4259–4282. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00018-021-03784-z

Mohanraj, V. J., & Chen, Y. (2007). Nanoparticles - A review. Tropical Journal of Pharmaceutical Research, 5(1). https://doi.org/10.4314/tjpr.v5i1.14634

Moretta, A., Salvia, R., Scieuzo, C., Somma, A. Di, Vogel, H., Pucci, P., Sgambato, A., Wolff, M., & Falabella, P. (2020). A bioinformatic study of antimicrobial peptides identified in the Black Soldier Fly (BSF) Hermetia illucens (Diptera: Stratiomyidae). Scientific Reports, 10(1), 16875. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-020-74017-9

Oonincx, D. G. A. B., van Itterbeeck, J., Heetkamp, M. J. W., van den Brand, H., van Loon, J. J. A., & van Huis, A. (2010). An Exploration on Greenhouse Gas and Ammonia Production by Insect Species Suitable for Animal or Human Consumption. PLoS ONE, 5(12), e14445. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0014445

Purkayastha, D., & Sarkar, S. (2022). Sustainable waste management using black soldier fly larva: a review. International Journal of Environmental Science and Technology, 19(12), 12701–12726. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13762-021-03524-7

Siddiqui, S. A., Ristow, B., Rahayu, T., Putra, N. S., Yuwono, N. W., Nisa’, K., Mategeko, B., Smetana, S., Saki, M., Nawaz, A., & Nagdalian, A. (2022). Black soldier fly larvae (BSFL) and their affinity for organic waste processing. Waste Management, 140, 1–13. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wasman.2021.12.044

Soetemans, L., Uyttebroek, M., & Bastiaens, L. (2020). Characteristics of chitin extracted from black soldier fly in different life stages. International Journal of Biological Macromolecules, 165, 3206–3214. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2020.11.041

Spranghers, T., Ottoboni, M., Klootwijk, C., Ovyn, A., Deboosere, S., Meulenaer, B. De, Michiels, J., Eeckhout, M., Clercq, P. De, & Smet, S. De. (2017). Nutritional composition of black soldier fly ( Hermetia illucens ) prepupae reared on different organic waste substrates. Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture, 97(8), 2594–2600. https://doi.org/10.1002/jsfa.8081

Triunfo, M., Tafi, E., Guarnieri, A., Scieuzo, C., Hahn, T., Zibek, S., Salvia, R., & Falabella, P. (2021). Insect Chitin-Based Nanomaterials for Innovative Cosmetics and Cosmeceuticals. Cosmetics, 8(2), 40. https://doi.org/10.3390/cosmetics8020040

Wang, Y.-S., & Shelomi, M. (2017). Review of Black Soldier Fly (Hermetia illucens) as Animal Feed and Human Food. Foods, 6(10), 91. https://doi.org/10.3390/foods6100091

Xia, J., Ge, C., & Yao, H. (2021). Antimicrobial Peptides from Black Soldier Fly (Hermetia illucens) as Potential Antimicrobial Factors Representing an Alternative to Antibiotics in Livestock Farming. Animals, 11(7), 1937. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani11071937




DOI: https://doi.org/10.14421/biomedich.2026.151.229-238

Refbacks

  • There are currently no refbacks.




Copyright (c) 2026 Risalatul Fathimah, Dika Putra Wijaya, Amirotul Muniroh, Sumari, Danar, Nilna Inayatan Nafiah, Fatimah Az-Zahra, Aura Gitta Zhafirah, Grestya Dienda Monicha, Marendha Salma Sajidah, Juwita Oktaviani, Fina Kharisma Musallamah, Putri Rizky Febrianti



Biology, Medicine, & Natural Product Chemistry
ISSN 2089-6514 (paper) - ISSN 2540-9328 (online)
Published by Sunan Kalijaga State Islamic University & Society for Indonesian Biodiversity.

CC BY NC
This work is licensed under a CC BY-NC