Comparative analysis of diet effects on growth performance and nutrient composition in house cricket, Acheta domestica as an alternative protein source in Thailand

Abstract

This comprehensive study investigated the diet’s impact on the growth and nutritional value of crickets (Acheta domesticus) in northern Thailand across five feed treatments. These included a commercial formula (CF21) with 21% protein content as a control, a novel cycling program of commercial formula (CF14) alternating between 21% and 14% protein feeds, and three new formulas (NF) with varied protein compositions (NF21 maintained a 21% protein diet, while NF17 and NF14 transitioned to 17% and 14% protein, respectively, after 21 days). Results revealed variations (p < 0.05) in production efficiency for 42-day-old crickets, including body weight, cricket production weight, and feed-to-body-weight conversion efficiency. NF21 displayed the highest average body weight for both sexes but the lowest total production weight. CF14 outperformed CF21 and the three new formulas. Despite trends in NF17 and NF14, their total weights slightly trailed CF14. Survival rates correlated with diet composition, with CF14 having the highest rate (71.08%), while subsequent groups experienced diminishing survival rates. Feed conversion ratio (FCR) analysis showed disparities, with NF21 recording the highest FCR value (3.34 ± 0.02) and CF14 recording the lowest (2.35 ± 0.01), highlighting different diet efficiencies. Economically, NF14 demonstrated cost-effectiveness at 25.92 ± 0.15 THB/kg (1 THB = 0.025 EUR), while CF14 emerged as the leader, achieving the highest net profit with a 51.51% cost reduction. The nutrient composition study revealed no significant impact on six values across all treatments. Overall, the majority of results favored CF14 as the preferred choice for achieving both cost-effectiveness and maximum yield.

Keywords:

• House crickets
• alternative protein
• feeding regimen
• dietary formulation
• nutrient composition

Reviewing Editor:

• Pedro Gonzalez-Redondo, Universidad de Sevilla, SPAIN

Subjects:

• Agriculture & environmental sciences
• agriculture
• agriculture and food
• entomology

Acknowledgments

We extend our sincere appreciation to the owner of Kwanjai Farm Community Enterprise in Wang Thong district, Phitsanulok province, Thailand, for their generous support in providing both financial assistance and wreath samples for this study, along with their dedicated officers. Special appreciation goes to the technicians from Pibulsongkram Rajabhat University for their invaluable support in completing this research.

Ethical statement

Ethical approval for this study was obtained from the Ethical Committee of Pibulsongkram Rajabhat University (PSRU-(AG)-2022-001).

Authors’ contributions

Conceptualization, S.Y. and T.J.; methodology, S.Y., T.I., N.R. and T.J.; validation, formal analysis and investigation S.Y., T.I., N.R. and T.J.; resources, S.Y. and T.J.; data curation, S.Y. and T.J.; writing—original draft preparation, S.Y., T.I., N.R. and T.J.; writing—review and editing, S.Y., N.R. and T.J.; visualization, supervision and project administration, S.Y. and T.J.; funding acquisition S.Y. and T.J. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Data availability statement

The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author, [T.J.], upon reasonable request.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Fundamental Fund for fiscal year 2024 (Grant nos. RDI-1-67-03 and RDI-1-67-09) and the Research Fund of the Research and Development Institute at the Pibulsongkram Rajabhat University under Grant no. RDI-2–65-63.

Notes on contributors

Suphawadee Yaemkong

Suphawadee Yaemkong, with a Doctor of Philosophy degree in Animal Science from Kasetsart University, currently serves as an Associate Professor and faculty member at the Faculty of Food and Agricultural Technology, Pibulsongkram Rajabhat University, located in Phitsanulok, Thailand. Her research interests and expertise predominantly revolve around animal research, specifically in animal production and socio-economic aspects within the broader field of animal science.

Tossaporn Incharoen

Tossaporn Incharoen is an Assistant Professor and a member of the Faculty of Agriculture Natural Resources and Environment at Naresuan University, located in Phitsanulok, Thailand. He earned his Ph.D. in Animal Science from Ehime University, Japan. His research expertise focuses on animal production and animal nutrition within the field of Animal Science.

Nontaporn Rattanachak

Nontaporn Rattanachak is a Ph.D. student in the Biomedical Sciences Program at the Faculty of Allied Health Sciences, Naresuan University. Additionally, she holds a faculty position at the Faculty of Science and Technology at Pibulsongkram Rajabhat University, located in Phitsanulok, Thailand. Her primary research interests and expertise focus on alternative agents derived from natural products, sustainable biodiversity utilization, and the study of genetic diversity within living organisms.

Touchkanin Jongjitvimol

Touchkanin Jongjitvimol is an Associate Professor and also a faculty member at the Faculty of Science and Technology at Pibulsongkram Rajabhat University, located in Phitsanulok, Thailand. He completed his Ph.D. in Biological Sciences at Naresuan University. His research interests include biodiversity conservation, sustainable biodiversity utilization, and genetic diversity within living organisms.