Type: Articles

Yellow mealworm, Tenebrio molitor, reared on fruit-waste supplemented substrates: a promising aquafeed ingredient

Authors

Corresponding Author

Hafsat Oladunnii

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.64636/ar.35

Abstract

The growing demand for sustainable and cost-effective protein in aquaculture has intensified the interest in edible insects, with mealworm (Tenebrio molitor) larvae recognized as a promising alternative due to their high protein content and ability to thrive on low-cost substrates. This study investigated the nutritional enhancement of T. molitor larvae reared for a period of 12 weeks on wheat bran (WB) supplemented with fruit wastes such as pineapple peels (PP) and watermelon rinds (WR). Five substrates were prepared as thus WB (control), WB/PP (1:1); WB/WR (1:1); WB/PP/WR (1:1:1) and PP/WR (1:1). The insects were reared on the experimental diets for a 12-weeks feeding period. Proximate, mineral, and amino acid profiles were analyzed. Crude protein ranged from 41.83% (WB) to 46.35% (WB/WR), with no significant differences in moisture, fat, and carbohydrate contents, but significant differences in ash, crude fiber, and protein levels. Larvae reared on WB/PP/WR had higher calcium, manganese, and sodium, while WB-fed larvae had higher iron, magnesium, and phosphorus. The amino acid profile varied with substrate, with WB/WR larvae recording the highest levels of histidine, threonine, leucine, tryptophan, asparagine, glutamic acid, cystine, alanine, glutamine, and arginine. Overall, fruit waste supplementation improved the nutritional quality of T. molitor larvae, with WB/WR exhibiting the most favorable amino acid and protein profile, supporting their potential as sustainable protein ingredients in aquafeeds.

Keywords:

Fruit waste, Mealworm larvae, Nutritional composition
Yellow mealworm, Tenebrio molitor, reared on fruit-waste supplemented substrates: a promising aquafeed ingredient

Author Biography

  • Solomon Danjuma, Department of Crop Production, Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida University, Lapai, 911101 Niger State, Nigeria

    Department of Crop Production, Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida University, Lapai, 911101 Niger State, Nigeria

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01-01-2026

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Vol. 2 No. 1 (2026): Animal Reports | Current issue

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Copyright (c) 2025 Hafsat Oladunnii, Kabir M. Adamu, Mohammed Aliyu-Paiko , Solomon Danjuma, Olufemi O. Egbewande, Yakubu M. Mohammed

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Oladunni, Hafsat, Kabir Mohammed Adamu, Mohammed Aliyu-Paiko, Solomon Danjuma, Olufemi Olubunmi Egbewande, and Yakubu Manbe Mohammed. 2026. “Yellow Mealworm, Tenebrio Molitor, Reared on Fruit-Waste Supplemented Substrates: A Promising Aquafeed Ingredient”. Animal Reports 2 (1): 1-15. https://doi.org/10.64636/ar.35.

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