Edible insect-based feed ingredients as modulators of gastrointestinal physiology in monogastric livestock and aquaculture species
Year: 2026
Type: review
Abstract: Edible insects have emerged as promising sustainable feed ingredients capable of supporting both animal production and gastrointestinal health. Beyond their nutritional value, insect-derived meals contain bioactive compounds-including chitin, antimicrobial peptides, medium-chain fatty acids, micronutrients, and antioxidant molecules-that may modulate gut microbiota-host interactions in farmed monogastric animal species. This review critically examines current evidence on the mechanisms through which insect-based diets influence gastrointestinal physiology in livestock and aquaculture species. Available studies indicate that dietary insect inclusion can promote beneficial shifts in gut microbial communities, including increased bacterial diversity, enrichment of short-chain fatty acid-producing taxa, and reductions in selected opportunistic pathogens. However, these responses are not uniform across experimental models and depend on factors including insect species, processing method, dietary inclusion level, host species, age, and physiological status. Rather than acting through isolated mechanisms, insect-derived bioactive compounds function as an integrated nutritional matrix that simultaneously influences microbial metabolism, epithelial signaling, and immune regulation. Future standardized and multi-omics studies will be essential to identify the principal bioactive compounds responsible for these physiological effects and to optimize insect-derived functional ingredients for precision animal nutrition and more sustainable livestock and aquaculture production.
Source: Frontiers in Physiology
Institution: University of Leeds
Language: English
Subfield: Insect Science
Domain: Life Sciences
SDG: Zero hunger
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $3,801
OpenAlex ID: W7223326014