PSXIII-25 use of insect meal an alternative protein source in feline nutrition

Abstract

As the human and pet populations increase, there is a greater demand and competition for dietary protein sources. As such, finding alternative and sustainable proteins that are nutritional adequate and safe for pets is important for future food security. Thus, the aim of this study was to evaluate 3 insect meals (i.e., Nauphoeta cinerea, Gromphadorhina portentosa, and Zophobas morio larvae) at 2 inclusion levels (7.5% and 15% as is) supplemented in feline diets. This study was conducted at the Canine and Feline Nutrition Center at the Federal University of Lavras, Brazil. Six adult cats (mean BW: 3.7 ± 0.86 kg) were randomly assigned to one of the 6 treatments using a Latin square design. Experimental periods had 15 d; 10 d for diet adaptation and 5 d for fecal collection. A fresh fecal sample from each cat per period was collected to determine fermentative end-product concentrations (i.e., SCFA, BCFA, indoles and phenols) and microbiota (16S rRNA). Following microbial DNA extraction, PCR amplicons from the V4 region of the 16S rRNA gene were used for Illumina sequencing. MiSeq data were analyzed with QIIME 1.9.1 using the Greengenes 13_8 reference OTU database (97% similarity threshold). An even sampling depth of 14,580 sequences per sample was used for assessing alpha- and beta-diversity measures. Apparent total tract digestibility (ATTD) was similar (P > 0.05) among dietary treatments for DM, OM, CP, AHF, and ME. Similarly, fecal concentrations of SCFA and BCFA was not different (P > 0.05) among treatments. Gut microbial richness and diversity were not (P > 0.05) affected by diet. Overall, our results indicate that diets containing up to 15% of insect meal are adequate for cats, being well digested and without negatively affecting parameters related to gut health.