Effect of substituting crude palm oil with saponified black soldier fly larvae (Hermetia illucens l.) oil on performance and digestive tract characteristics of broiler chickens

Several studies have shown that black soldier fly larvae (BSF-L) oil is an effective substitute for the use of crude
palm oil (CPO) as an energy source in broiler chicken feeds. CPO contains several long-chain fatty acid (LCFA), such as palmitic and oleic acid, while BSF-L oil contains various medium-chain fatty acid (MCFA), namely lauric acid. In addition, lauric acid can function as an antimicrobial and immunomodulator. As an antimicrobial, it can inhibit the activity of enzymes that play a role in energy production and nutrient transport. Lauric acid is also an immunomodulator that preserves the integrity of the intestinal barrier by increasing the permeability of tight
junctions. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the effect of substituting CPO with saponified BSF-L oil on
broiler chicken performance and digestive tract characteristics. There were 280 male broiler chickens of the New Lohmann Indian River strain (MB 202 Platinum) in the experiment. CPO and saponified BSF-L oil were administered at different ratios, namely 3:0 (0% saponified BSF-L oil in feed), 2:1 (1% saponified BSF-L oil in feed), 1:2 (2% saponified BSF-L oil in feed), and 0:3 (3% saponified BSF-L oil in feed). Each treatment ratio consisted of 7 replications, which were administered to 10 chickens. In this study, the test animals were reared for 35 days, with 3 maintenance phases, including starter, grower, and finisher. The formulated feed was applied in the grower phase, followed by the re moval of digestive tract organs to assess various parameters, such as length, weight, and pH of the digesta. The jejunum was also analyzed to obtain the histomorphology of intestinal villi and tight junctions gene expression. The data obtained were analyzed for variance with a one-way pattern and continued with the Duncan Multiple Range Test due to differences. The results showed that the substitution of CPO with saponified BSF-L oil had a significant effect (P<0.05) on feed intake (FI), index performance (IP), duodenal length, ileal pH, and JAM-2 and OCLN gene expression. The treatment also had a significant impact (P<0.01) on body weight (BW), average daily gain (ADG), and ZO-1 gene expression. In addition, the 2:1 treatment could improve the performance of broiler chickens and the ileal digesta's pH value, as well as reduce the length of the duodenum. As the level of saponified BSF-L increased, tight junctions gene expression also increased.
However, it did not affect the histomorphology of jejunal villi or the relative weight of the digestive organs.