Nutritional Evaluation of Fermented Maize Cob and Black Soldier Fly Larvae Composite as a Sustainable Alternative Feed for Fish and Poultry

Abstract

This study evaluated the proximate, vitamin, and mineral composition of alternative feeds formulated from fermented maize cob and black soldier fly (BSF) larvae composite for fish and poultry. Four feed formulations were developed using varying proportions of fermented maize cob powder and BSF larvae flour: 60/40, 70/30, 80/20, and 90/10, with commercial feed as a control. The raw materials and composite feeds were analysed using standard AOAC methods. Results showed that BSF larvae contained significantly higher protein (29.30%), fat (8.97%), ash (12.18%), and fiber (8.50%) compared to maize cob. The composite feeds exhibited protein content ranging from 13.48-27.00%, with the 60/40 formulation achieving the highest protein level. Moisture content ranged from 21.42-27.53%, indicating the need for additional drying to enhance storage stability. Vitamin analysis revealed that BSF larvae were rich in vitamin B2 (11.93 mg/100g) and B6 (0.91 mg/100g), while vitamins A and E were absent in all samples. The vitamin C content was extremely low across all samples, ranging from (0.01-0.34)mg/100g. Mineral composition showed BSF as an excellent source of iron (7.75 mg/100g), zinc (1.87 mg/100g), Sodium (128.62 mg/100g), and Potassium (464.92 mg/100g), lead content ranged from 0.05mg/100g in sample 80/20 to 0.2mg/100g in maize cob powder (MCP). The 60/40 formulation demonstrated an optimal nutritional profile for high-protein-requiring species, suggesting that fermented maize cob-BSF composites represent viable, sustainable alternatives to conventional feeds. This analysis was subjected to a one-way analysis of variance and Turkish test was used to compare the means.