Bugs for one health: insects as a sustainable protein source and functional feed for monogastric animals.
The European Union has introduced initiatives like the European Green Deal and Farm to Fork Strategy to address challenges such as climate change, resource depletion, and population growth.
These efforts aim to make agriculture, livestock farming, and pet food production more sustainable by reducing pesticide use, waste, and dependence on imported GMO soybeans, while also tackling antibiotic resistance and enhance overall animal health through innovative strategies.
In this context insects could be a potential solution due to their high nutritional valute, bioactive compounds content, low environmental impact, and circular economy potential.
This research project will focus on Tenebrio molitor larvae as a potential alternative protein for swine feed and a source of bioactive compounds like chitosan for both swine and dogs.
The study will pursue specific objectives:
- Growth and rearing optimization: Evaluate the growth, feed efficiency, and survival rates of T. molitor on various substrates to improve production.
- Nutritional and chemical characterization: Analyze how different substrates affect insect meal composition and chitosan chemical properties.
- In vitro bioactivity evaluation: Assess the antimicrobial and antioxidant properties of insect meals and chitosan and explore strategies to protect these compounds during digestion.
- In vivo trials in swine and dogs: Assess the impact of insect-based meals and chitosan on antibiotic use, immunity and gut health of piglets, and evaluate chitosan extract influence on nutritional status, fecal quality, and microbiome composition in dogs.
Emergency and general medicine freelancer in veterinary hospitals since January 2024.
Student and post graduate internship in small animal nutrition at the Veterinary Teaching Hospital (OVU) from May 2022 to October 2023 and from February 2024 to July 2024.
Master’s Degree in Veterinary Medicine at University of Milan (UNIMI) in October 2023 with a thesis on the analysis of gut microbiota in Golden Retrievers prone to dilated cardiomyopathy due to taurine deficiency.
Deep interest in small animal dietetics and swine nutrition.
Supervisor Prof. Luciana Rossi
Co-supervisor Prof. Eleonora Fusi
