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22 November 2024 Evaluating Tenebrio molitor (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae) for the reduction of fumonisin B1 levels in livestock feed
Ryan T. Paulk, Hamed K. Abbas, M. Guadalupe Rojas, Juan A. Morales-Ramos, Mark Busman, Nathan Little, W. Thomas Shier
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Abstract

The yellow mealworm, Tenebrio molitor, L., can be an important component of the circular economy because of its ability to transform a variety of agricultural wastes and byproducts into valuable livestock feed. Analysis of their ability to endure toxins coupled with their potential to transfer contaminants to higher trophic levels is not complete. Fumonisins, produced primarily by Fusarium verticillioides (Hypocreales: Netriaceae) (Sacc.) Nirenberg (1976), are mycotoxins likely to be encountered by T. molitor in corn and other grain byproducts. Tenebrio molitor larvae were reared on a simulated diet of corn and other grain byproducts treated with a range of maximum recommended fumonisin B1 levels for different livestock feeds. We observed that T. molitor were able to survive, grow, and reduce by excretion and metabolism their retained fumonisin B1 levels by up to 99.7% compared to the diet they consumed. Unknown metabolic processes were inferred from the significantly reduced content of fumonisin B1 in the frass (63.1% to 73.2%) as compared to the diet and by the first report of long-chain acylated fumonisin B1 derivatives in insect frass.

Ryan T. Paulk, Hamed K. Abbas, M. Guadalupe Rojas, Juan A. Morales-Ramos, Mark Busman, Nathan Little, and W. Thomas Shier "Evaluating Tenebrio molitor (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae) for the reduction of fumonisin B1 levels in livestock feed," Journal of Economic Entomology 118(1), 63-70, (22 November 2024). https://doi.org/10.1093/jee/toae273
Received: 2 August 2024; Accepted: 1 November 2024; Published: 22 November 2024
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KEYWORDS
DDGS
fumonisin
maize
mycotoxin
yellow mealworm
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