Liminal presence of exo-microbes inoculating coconut endosperm waste to enhance black soldier fly larval protein and lipid.

ABSTRACT

The anaerobic decomposition of coconut endosperm waste (CEW), residue derived from cooking, has been insidiously spewing greenhouse gasses. Thus, the bioconversion of CEW via in situ fermentation by exo-microbes from commercial Rid-X and subsequent valorization by black soldier fly larvae (BSFL) was the primary objective of the current study to gain sustainable larval lipid and protein. Accordingly, various concentrations of exo-microbes were separately homogenized with CEW to perform fermentation amidst feeding to BSFL. It was found that 2.50% of exo-microbes was the threshold amount entailed to assuage competition between exo-microbes and BSFL for common nutrients. The presence of remnant nutrients exuded from the fermentation using 2.50% of exo-microbes was confirmed to promote BSFL growth measured as maximum larval weight gained and growth rate. Although the BSFL could accumulate the highest protein (16 mg/larva) upon feeding with CEW containing 2.50% of exo-microbes, more lipid (13 mg/larva) was stored in employing 0.10% of exo-microbes because of minimum loss to metabolic processes while prolonging the BSFL in its 5th instar stage.