{
  "abstract": "Background/Objectives: This study evaluated the effects of dietary defatted black soldier fly (Hermetia illucens) larvae meal (DBSFLM) as a partial replacement of traditional dietary protein sources on growth performance, carcass traits, meat quality, serum biochemical and antioxidant-related parameters, ileal morphology, and cecal microbiota in Wenchang chickens. Methods: Ninety healthy 55-day-old male chickens were randomly assigned to three dietary treatments with six replicates of five birds each: a basal diet without DBSFLM (H0), or diets containing 3% (H3) or 5% (H5) DBSFLM for 26 days. Results: Average daily feed intake, average daily gain, and feed conversion ratio did not differ significantly among treatments (p > 0.05). Abdominal fat percentage was higher in H5 than in H0 (p < 0.05), whereas other measured carcass traits were unaffected. No significant differences were observed in the measured meat quality parameters, including pH, drip loss, cooking yield, shear force, and meat color (p > 0.05). Dietary DBSFLM increased serum glutathione peroxidase activity and decreased malondialdehyde concentration, while serum creatinine concentration decreased in both DBSFLM groups (p < 0.05). DBSFLM also decreased ileal crypt depth and increased the villus height-to-crypt depth ratio (p < 0.05). Changes in the relative abundances of Firmicutes_A, Proteobacteria, Akkermansia, Butyricicoccaceae, and Agathobaculum were observed in cecal microbiota. Conclusions: Overall, partial replacement of traditional dietary protein sources with 3–5% DBSFLM was associated with changes in selected serum parameters, ileal morphology, and cecal microbial composition, without significant differences in growth performance or most measured meat quality traits.",
  "abstract_shown": true,
  "affiliations": [
    "Animal Nutrition and Feed Laboratory, School of Tropical Agriculture and Forestry, Hainan University, Danzhou 571737, China"
  ],
  "article_type": null,
  "arxiv": null,
  "author_total": 11,
  "authors": [
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Qingchao Yang"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Ruiying Bao"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Liangmin Huang"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Xingke Wang"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Yang Zhang"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Qingying Cai",
      "orcid": "0009-0007-4505-0617"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Zeru Peng"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Huiyu Shi"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Haiwen Zhang"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Xiaochun Li"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Xuemei Wang",
      "orcid": "0000-0002-0913-6065"
    }
  ],
  "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/bk6tpsezdxtpb.bib",
  "cited_by": 0,
  "doi": "10.3390/metabo16100767",
  "fulltext_url": null,
  "id": "bk6tpsezdxtpb",
  "issns": [
    "2218-1989"
  ],
  "landing_url": "https://www.mdpi.com/2218-1989/16/10/767",
  "language": null,
  "licence": "CC-BY-4.0",
  "licence_label": "CC BY 4.0",
  "licence_source": "article",
  "licence_url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/",
  "metadata_licence": null,
  "native_subjects": [
    [
      "openalex",
      "1109|Insect Utilization and Effects"
    ]
  ],
  "openalex": "W7221504273",
  "pdf_url": null,
  "pmcid": null,
  "pmid": null,
  "published": "2026-10-12",
  "publisher": "MDPI AG",
  "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/bk6tpsezdxtpb.ris",
  "sources": [
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-10-30T12:19:00Z",
      "native_id": "10.3390/metabo16100767",
      "source": "crossref",
      "url": "https://www.mdpi.com/2218-1989/16/10/767"
    }
  ],
  "subjects": [
    {
      "field": "biology",
      "origin": "openalex:1109|Insect Utilization and Effects",
      "subfield": "zoology-behaviour"
    }
  ],
  "title": "Diets Containing Defatted Black Soldier Fly Larvae Meal Improve Intestinal Morphology and Antioxidant Capacity in Wenchang Chickens",
  "title_text": "Diets Containing Defatted Black Soldier Fly Larvae Meal Improve Intestinal Morphology and Antioxidant Capacity in Wenchang Chickens",
  "type": "peer-reviewed",
  "updated_at": "2026-10-30T12:19:00Z",
  "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/bk6tpsezdxtpb",
  "venue": "Metabolites",
  "versions": []
}