Research Information System
Open Veterinary Journal, vol.15, no.8, pp.3580-3589, 2025 (ESCI)
Background: The black soldier fly (BSF), Hermetia illucens, has been widely investigated as an alternative protein source to soy and fish meal in laying hen diets. However, the fatty acid profile of BSF may influence chicken performance, egg production, and blood lipid levels, with inconsistent results reported. Aim: To resolve conflicting findings, this meta-analysis aimed to synthesize existing studies that indicate the effects of black soldier fly larvae (BSFL) meal on the blood lipid profile levels of laying hens. Methods: Five databases (PubMed, Scopus, ProQuest, Science Direct, and Cochrane Library) were searched using the keywords H. illucens, BSF, laying hens, and lipid profile. Study selection followed the preferredreportingiPreferred Reporting Items for systematicrSystematic Reviews and meta-analysiMeta-Analyses 2020 guidelines. All extracted data were calculated applying online software Review Manager (RevMan) (Cochrane Collaboration, UK) to estimate random effects, mean differences (MD), heterogeneity (I²), subgroup analysis, and visualize forest and Funnel plots. Results: A total of five eligible investigations were retrieved in the quantitative meta-analysis to comprehensively evaluate the efficacy of BSFL meal on cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein (HDL), low-density lipoprotein (LDL), and triglycerides in laying hens. All of the following parameters were not significantly altered by BSFL inclusion: cholesterol (MD = −2.42, 95% CI: −32.35 to 27.52, p = 0.83), HDL (MD = −6.43, 95% CI: −55.59 to 42.72, p = 0.34), LDL (MD = −0.79, 95% CI: −16.09 to 14.51, p = 0.63), and triglycerides (MD = 299.63, 95% CI: −466.70 to 1,065.96, p = 0.30). According to the subgroup analysis, modifications in the BSFL meal ratio may only affect triglycerides; cholesterol, HDL, and LDL were not significant. Conclusion: According to this meta-analysis, BSFL meal represents a promising feed substitute for laying hens that has no detrimental effects on cholesterol, HDL, LDL, and triglyceride levels.