DIGESTIBILITY IN VITRO OF BLACK SOLDIER FLY MEAL: STUDY OF THE METHOD'S INFLUENCE

Resumen

The protein source from Black Soldier Fly Meal (BSFM) for animal food has grown over the last years. In vitro assays are a rapid and strategic source for evaluating the quality of ingredients and animal feed. However, the diversity of the methods described in the literature promotes difficulties in selecting an adequate assay. This manuscript aims to evaluate the influence of two different laboratory devices—circulating water bath and orbital shaker—on the digestibility of Black Soldier Fly meal (BSFM) using in vitro assays with modifications in the gastric phase, and to compare these results with those in the literature. Pepsin-acid solution (0.02%) in BSFM defatted (BSFMd) was evaluated (2 h, 39ºC) in the gastric phase, followed by pancreatin solution (4 h, 39ºC, pH 6.8) in i) a circulating water bath; ii) an orbital shaker. The BSFMd showed 54.6% crude protein, with the highest in vitro protein digestibility (96.4%) obtained in the circulating water bath, demonstrating the influence of temperature stability and heat transfer on the sample in this laboratory method of analysis. The orbital shakers may present thermal limitations, as they rely on air as the primary medium for heat conduction, with an in vitro digestibility of 68.4%. The proposed modifications to the gastric phase of the digestibility assay proved to be promising, where the higher influence of the in vitro digestibility of the proteins may be associated with the equipment used, when compared to the literature.