Nutritional Quality of Oilseed Protein Isolates as Determined with Larvae of the Yellow Mealworm, Tenebrio molitor L.

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Abstract
Previous studies have shown that larvae of the yellow mealworm, Tenebrio molitor L., classify the nutritive values of oilseed meals in a manner similar to weanling mice. The present study was designed to determine whether such classification was mediated entirely by the oilseed proteins or was influenced by nonprotein constituents of these meals. Larvae of Tenebrio molitor fed a diet of 90% ground wheat + 10% brewer's yeast gained twice as much weight as those fed synthetic diets containing wheat or two brands of casein. The results suggest that the yeast may have supplied essential amino acids or unknown growth factors, absent or deficient in the other protein sources. Autoclaving of the six oilseed proteins, in general, improved the nutritive value by over 50% (range, 7.6% for safflower isolate to 176.4% for soybean isolate). Larvae fed diets containing autoclaved isolates of soybean, sunflower or turnip rape gained weights similar to those fed a diet of wheat + brewer's yeast. The nutritional quality of the autoclaved isolates was classified by larvae of Tenebrio molitor as follows: soybean = sunflower = turnip rape > flax = rape = safflower. These results are discussed in relation to the amino acid composition of the larvae and the dietary protein sources.

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