A strategy for high-yield lauric acid production in Hermetia illucens fed with pre-fermented sweet potato-based substrate

Vivek Manyapu; Yo-Chia Chen

doi:10.1186/s40643-026-01085-6

Bioresources and Bioprocessing ›› 2026, Vol. 13 ›› Issue (1) :90 DOI: 10.1186/s40643-026-01085-6

Research

research-article

A strategy for high-yield lauric acid production in Hermetia illucens fed with pre-fermented sweet potato-based substrate

Vivek Manyapu ¹^,²
, Yo-Chia Chen ²^,^a

Author information +

History +

PDF

Abstract

The intensification of animal farming is associated with increased infectious and zoonotic disease risks. The black soldier fly larvae (BSFL) have antimicrobial activity that could potentially be used to suppress diseases and improve animal health. This study used carbohydrate-rich sweet potato and lauric acid-rich desiccated coconut to differentiate the primary source of lauric acid. The study also investigated the effect of pre-fermenting the substrates with Bacillus sp. and Klebsiella sp. on the BSFL growth performance and fatty acid composition, particularly on lauric acid. Correlation analyses were conducted between the larvae fed with fresh substrate and fermented substrate. Overall, the sweet potato enhanced the lauric acid biosynthesis, and the fermented sweet potato-based substrate resulted in a remarkable lauric acid production of 82%, i.e., 365 mg g⁻¹ in the BSFL biomass. Pre-fermentation aided production of precursors like oleic acid, linoleic acid, and glycolysis of readily available carbohydrates, which spiked the lauric acid biosynthesis.

Keywords

Bacterial fermentation / β–oxidation / de novo synthesis / Glycolysis / Klebsiella / Precursors / Pre-treatment

Cite this article

Download citation ▾

Vivek Manyapu, Yo-Chia Chen. A strategy for high-yield lauric acid production in Hermetia illucens fed with pre-fermented sweet potato-based substrate. Bioresources and Bioprocessing, 2026, 13 (1) : 90 DOI:10.1186/s40643-026-01085-6

登录浏览全文

4963

注册一个新账户忘记密码

References

Publishing order | Descend order by publishing year | Descend order by cited within

[1]	Bothma M, Teke GM, Pieterse E, et al.. Enhancing black soldier fly larval production from sugarcane bagasse through hydrothermal, enzymatic, and microbial treatment. J Insects Food Feed, 2024, 11: 937-951.

[2]	Callegari M, Jucker C, Fusi M, et al.. Hydrolytic profile of the culturable gut bacterial community associated with Hermetia illucens. Front Microbiol, 2020, 11: 1965.

[3]	Cohn Z, Latty T, Abbas A. Understanding dietary carbohydrates in black soldier fly larvae treatment of organic waste in the circular economy. Waste Manag, 2022, 137: 9-19.

[4]	de Souza Vilela J, Andronicos NM, Kolakshyapati M, et al.. Black soldier fly larvae in broiler diets improve broiler performance and modulate the immune system. Anim Nutr, 2021, 7: 695-706.

[5]	Ewald N, Vidakovic A, Langeland M, et al.. Fatty acid composition of black soldier fly larvae (): possibilities and limitations for modification through diet. Waste Manag, 2020, 102: 40-47.

[6]	Gatlin DMIII, Carvalho PLPFD, Flint C, et al.. Evaluation of lauric acid enhancement of black soldier fly larvae from coconut. J Econ Entomol, 2024, 117: 1235-1241.

[7]	Hara A, Radin NS. Lipid extraction of tissues with a low-toxicity solvent. Anal Biochem, 1978, 90: 420-426.

[8]	Heil CS, Wehrheim SS, Paithankar KS, Grininger M. Fatty acid biosynthesis: chain-length regulation and control. ChemBioChem, 2019, 20: 2298-2321.

[9]	Hoc B, Genva M, Fauconnier M-L, et al.. About lipid metabolism in Hermetia illucens (L. 1758): on the origin of fatty acids in prepupae. Sci Rep, 2020, 10: 11916.

[10]	IJdema F, Lievens S, Smets R. Modulating the fatty acid composition of black soldier fly larvae via substrate fermentation. Animal, 2025, 19. ArticleID: 101383

[11]	Janssen RH, Vincken J-P, van den Broek LAM, et al.. Nitrogen-to-protein conversion factors for three edible insects: Tenebrio molitor, Alphitobius diaperinus, and Hermetia illucens. J Agric Food Chem, 2017, 65: 2275-2278.

[12]	Jayanegara A, Anzhany D, Despal D. Maggot oil as a feed supplement for reducing methanogenesis of rumen microbial culture in vitro. IOP Conf Ser Mater Sci Eng, 2021, 1098. ArticleID: 042100

[13]	Juhas M (2023) Emerging and zoonotic diseases. In: Juhas M (ed) Brief lessons in microbiology: from the origin of life to artificial intelligence. Springer International Publishing, Cham, pp 111–122. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-29544-7_9

[14]	Kabir MS, Tasmim T. Isolation of pectinase producing bacteria from the rhizosphere of Andrographis paniculata Nees and 16S rRNA gene sequence comparison of some potential strains. Adv Microbiol, 2019, 9: 1-13.

[15]	Klüber P, Tegtmeier D, Hurka S, et al.. Diet fermentation leads to microbial adaptation in black soldier fly (Hermetia illucens; Linnaeus, 1758) larvae reared on palm oil side streams. Sustainability, 2022, 14: 5626.

[16]	Leong SY, Kutty SRM, Tan CK, Tey LH. Comparative study on the effect of organic waste on lauric acid produced by Hermetia illucens larvae via bioconversion. J Eng Sci Technol, 2015, 10: 52-63

[17]	Li X-Y, Mei C, Luo X-Y, et al.. Dynamics of the intestinal bacterial community in black soldier fly larval guts and its influence on insect growth and development. Insect Sci, 2023, 30: 947-963.

[18]	Liu Y, Liu J, He J, et al.. Chronological and carbohydrate-dependent transformation of fatty acids in the larvae of black soldier fly following food waste treatment. Molecules, 2023, 28: 1903.

[19]	Ma J, Singha KP, Abanikannda MF, et al.. Insect larvae meal as a complementary functional ingredient in high soybean meal-based diets improve the health of rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss). J Fish Dis, 2025, 48: e14153.

[20]	Manyapu V, Chen Y-C. Substrate-driven nutrient assimilation and microbiome shifts in black soldier fly larvae fed with guava pulp and pork fat. Bioresour Technol Rep, 2026, 34: 102665.

[21]	Mariotti F, Tomé D, Mirand PP. Converting nitrogen into protein—beyond 6.25 and Jones’ factors. Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr, 2008, 48: 177-184.

[22]	Mazza L, Xiao X, ur Rehman K, et al.. Management of chicken manure using black soldier fly (Diptera: Stratiomyidae) larvae assisted by companion bacteria. Waste Manag, 2020, 102: 312-318.

[23]	Meddeb-Mouelhi F, Moisan JK, Beauregard M. A comparison of plate assay methods for detecting extracellular cellulase and xylanase activity. Enzyme Microb Technol, 2014, 66: 16-19.

[24]	Memon FU, Li C, Ahmad S, et al.. Efficiency of microbial fermentation on microbial shifts, enzymatic activity, and transcriptions in black soldier fly larvae during the sugarcane waste conversion. Environ Pollut, 2025, 381: 126588.

[25]	Memon FU, Zhu Y, Cui Y, et al.. Gut microbial communities and transcriptional profiles of black soldier fly (Hermitia illucens) larvae fed on fermented sericulture waste. Waste Manag, 2025, 194: 158-168.

[26]	Mushtaq H, Ganai SA, Jehangir A, et al.. Molecular and functional characterization of protease from psychrotrophic Bacillus sp. HM49 in North-western Himalaya. PLoS ONE, 2023, 18: e0283677.

[27]	Nelson DW, Sommers LE (1996) Total carbon, organic carbon, and organic matter. In: Methods of soil analysis. Wiley, Ltd, pp 961–1010. https://doi.org/10.2136/sssabookser5.3.c34

[28]	Noh S, Jin X, Jang M, et al.. Supplementation of black soldier fly larvae (Hermetia illucens) as a sustainable protein source on growth performance, blood profiles, immune response, and diarrhea incidence in weaning pigs. Anim Biosci, 2026, 39: 250425.

[29]	Prachumchai R, Cherdthong A. Black soldier fly larva oil in diets with roughage to concentrate ratios on fermentation characteristics, degradability, and methane generation. Animals, 2023, 13: 2416.

[30]	Qiu Y, Wang P, Guo Y, et al.. Enhancing food waste reduction efficiency and high-value biomass production in Hermetia illucens rearing through bioaugmentation with gut bacterial agent. Sci Total Environ, 2023, 904: 166488.

[31]	Quan J, Wang Y, Cheng X, et al.. Revealing the effects of fermented food waste on the growth and intestinal microorganisms of black soldier fly (Hermetia illucens) larvae. Waste Manag, 2023, 171: 580-589.

[32]	Rehman Kur, Hollah C, Wiesotzki K, et al.. Black soldier fly, as a potential innovative and environmentally friendly tool for organic waste management: a mini-review. Waste Manag Res, 2023, 41: 81-97.

[33]	Rossi G, Ojha S, Hankel J, Schlüter K. Insect-mediated valorisation of anaerobically digested aquaculture waste: bioconversion performances, nutritional composition and microbial safety of black soldier fly larvae. Sustain Food Technol, 2025, 3: 811-821.

[34]	Sharif S, Shah AH, Fariq A, et al.. Optimization of amylase production using response surface methodology from newly isolated thermophilic bacteria. Heliyon, 2023, 9: e12901.

[35]	Siddiqui SA, Gadge AS, Hasan M, et al.. Future opportunities for products derived from black soldier fly (BSF) treatment as animal feed and fertilizer: a systematic review. Environ Dev Sustain, 2024, 26: 30273-30354.

[36]	Singh R, Gupta N, Goswami VK, Gupta R. A simple activity staining protocol for lipases and esterases. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol, 2006, 70: 679-682.

[37]	Stevenson P. Links between industrial livestock production, disease, including zoonoses and antimicrobial resistance. Anim Res One Health, 2023, 1: 137-144.

[38]	Stoll DA, Müller A, Meinhardt A-K, et al.. Influence of salt concentration and iodized table salt on the microbiota of fermented cucumbers. Food Microbiol, 2020, 92: 103552.

[39]	Struve C, Krogfelt KA. Role of capsule in Klebsiella pneumoniae virulence: lack of correlation between in-vitro and in-vivo studies. FEMS Microbiol Lett, 2003, 218: 149-154.

[40]	Suryati T, Julaeha E, Farabi K, Ambarsari H, Hidayat AT. Lauric acid from the black soldier fly (Hermetia illucens) and its potential applications. Sustainability, 2023, 15: 10383.

[41]	Xiao X, Mazza L, Yu Y, et al.. Efficient co-conversion process of chicken manure into protein feed and organic fertilizer by L. (Diptera: Stratiomyidae) larvae and functional bacteria. J Environ Manag, 2018, 217: 668-676.

[42]	Yang X, Yin J, Zhang J, et al.. Effects of black soldier fly larvae replacing soybean meal on growth, blood traits, carcass characteristics, and jejunal microbiota in ducks. J Insects Food Feed, 2026, 1: 1-13.

[43]	Yeow TA, Agustin YE, Lee XY, et al.. Upcycling lignocellulosic palm biomass black soldier fly larvae (BSFL) composting incorporated with ex situ fermentation by. Ind Crops Prod, 2024, 222: 119764.

[44]	Young Kim J, Park W-K, Park G, et al.. Feed-shifting strategy for increasing biodiesel production from black soldier fly larvae. Bioresour Technol, 2024, 414: 131633.

[45]	Zhang Y, Huang G, Wei X, et al.. Bioconversion of black soldier fly larvae on agricultural by-products: Study on growth, nutrition, physicochemical properties, metabolic profiling, and larvae-substrate component correlations. J Clean Prod, 2025, 521: 146250.

[46]	Zhu Z, Rehman K, ur, Yu Y, et al.. De novo transcriptome sequencing and analysis revealed the molecular basis of rapid fat accumulation by black soldier fly (Hermetia illucens, L.) for development of insectival biodiesel. Biotechnol Biofuels, 2019, 12: 194.